Variations in Sex-Race-Age Specific Incidence Rates of Offending (From Criminal Justice System and Blacks, P 103-123, 1984, Daniel Georges-Abeyie, ed. - See NCJ-98968)

• NCJ Number: 98976
• Author(s): M J Hindelang
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 21 pages
• Sale Source: Clark Boardman Company, Ltd
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Variations in rates of offending in rape, robbery, assault, and personal larceny are examined as a function of sex, race, and age using victimization data from the National Crime Survey.

Abstract

Examination of these data indicate that in the 18 to 20 and 21-and-older age ranges, black males have the highest incidence of offending for rape, robbery, assault and larceny. Incidence rates are second highest for white males, followed by rates for black women and white women. The pattern is similar for the 12 to 18-year-old group, except that black females have a rate of offending slightly higher than that for white males. Both black males and females show substantially higher incidences of offending than their white counterparts. Overall, black 18 to 20-year-old males have the highest rate of offending for personal crime. A comparison of these data with Uniform Crime Report statistics reveals a strikingly similar pattern for these variables. With respect to household crimes (burglary, household larceny, and vehicle theft), National Crime Survey findings largely mirror those found for personal crimes. Overall, age, race, and sex account for an impressive percentage of the variance in incidence rates of offending. This in turn, has implications for sociological theories of etiology that view criminality as influenced by cultural, social, economic, and other factors. Ten notes, 3 tables, 2 graphs, and 30 references are included.