NCJ Number
209966
Journal
Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 21 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 149-174
Date Published
June 2005
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether population heterogeneity and state dependence processes influence different types of criminal offending.
Abstract
Previous research on criminal offending has underscored the importance of two distinct mechanisms for their influence on criminal behavior: population heterogeneity and state dependence. These types of dynamic factors thought to influence criminal behavior have long competed with more static factors, such as stable individual differences which have been shown to explain a significant amount of the stability in criminal offending patterns. Yet research has shown that dynamic influences such as state dependence and population heterogeneity also influence criminal offending patterns. The current study drew on data from the longitudinal Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS) of 727 males in order to analyze the static and dynamic influences for both violent and non-violent forms of criminal activity. The methodology utilized both official crime records and self-report measures. Results of statistical analyses indicated that differences in criminal offending were significantly related to violent and non-violent offending, which is consistent with a population heterogeneity effect. Second, after adjusting for persistent unobserved heterogeneity, the findings showed dynamic variation in criminal behavior. Finally, measurement method and crime type did not influence the analysis results. The findings suggest that any valid theory of criminal offending should include both static and dynamic processes. Tables, appendix, references