NCJ Number
94009
Date Published
1984
Length
98 pages
Annotation
Using data for France for 1826-29, this study examines propensity for crime in general and the influence of intelligence, climate, the seasons, sex, and age on the propensity for crime.
Abstract
Age is very prominent in stimulating or moderating the propensity for crime, as it is related to the intensity of physical strength and passions in males, reaching its zenith around age 25. Intellectual and moral development lags behind the development of physical strength and passions, and it tends to moderate the propensity for crime. Males have a greater propensity for crime than women, but the propensity for crime generally follows the same pattern by age in both sexes, although women tend to reach the height of propensity for crime around age 30. Women, due to their weaker physical strength, are more likely than males to commit crimes against property rather than against persons. The seasons influence criminal behavior, in that crimes against persons are more likely in the summer than property crimes, while the reverse is true in the winter. The crime rate is related to the economic activity of a nation, and a person's profession will have a significant influence on the type of crime committed. A person's education and income have less an effect on criminal propensity than is commonly supposed; however, females in the lower classes are more likely to become involved in crime than upper class females. Tabular data and a subject index are provided.