Articles by D. P. Farrington
Total Records ( 3 ) for D. P. Farrington
Co-Offending, Age, Gender and Crime Type: Implications for Criminal Justice Policy
S. B van Mastrigt and D. P. Farrington
It has long been reported that many crimes are committed in groups, yet few studies of co-offending exist. In this paper, we argue that large-scale information on the prevalence of co-offending and its variations across age, gender and crime type is essential for the development of criminological theory and for the accurate estimation of important criminal justice measures like the probability of conviction and the incapacitative effects of imprisonment. To this end, we present results from the most extensive multivariate analysis of co-offending available in the United Kingdom to date. Findings indicate that a minority of detected crime implicated multiple offenders, and that co-offending decreased with age, was greater for females and was most common for robbery and burglary. Age, gender and crime type independently predicted co-offending. Implications for criminal justice policy and theory are discussed.
Are There Any True Adult-Onset Offenders?
T. R McGee and D. P. Farrington
In the extant literature, adult-onset offending has usually been identified using official sources. It is possible, however, that many of the individuals identified would have had unofficial histories of prior offending. To investigate this issue, the men from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (CSDD) were examined. The CSDD is a prospective longitudinal study of men from inner-city London, followed from age 8 to age 48. Onset of offending was identified using official records and then the self-reported offending of the adult-onset offender group (with a first conviction at age 21 or later) was compared to others. All the adult-onset offenders self-reported some previous offending in childhood and adolescence but most of this offending was not sufficiently frequent or serious to lead to a conviction in practice. About one-third of adult-onset offenders were considered to be self-reported delinquents who were realistically in danger of being convicted because of the frequency of their offending. For some, the adjudication by the criminal justice system was simply the first time that their ongoing pattern of offending had been detected. Their lack of detection was because the types of offences they were committing had lower detection rates.
Assessing Differences Between Short-Term, High-Rate Offenders and Long-Term, Low-Rate Offenders
A. R Piquero , C. J Sullivan and D. P. Farrington
In empirically assessing offending trajectory groups, some researchers have identified unexpected classes of offenders. Two such groups are (a) short-term, high-rate offenders and (b) long-term, low-rate offenders. On some aggregate benchmarks, such as lifetime volume of crime, these two groups of offenders may be comparable. Yet a more detailed examination of their careers may reveal important distinctions regarding the correlates of offending, the extent of involvement in crime, and associated costs to society. Furthermore, unpacking the history, profile, and trajectory of these two groups of offenders may suggest unique policy options. The authors examined the question of equivalency in these groups and the factors that contribute to their offending using longitudinal data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development through age 40. Theoretical and policy implications associated with criminal justice response are discussed.