Criminal Careers of Two Generations of Family Members in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development

• NCJ Number: 172922
• Journal: Studies on Crime and Crime Prevention Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: 1998 Pages: 85-106
• Author(s): D P Farrington; S Lambert; D J West
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 22 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: Sweden

Annotation

The Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development is a prospective longitudinal survey of 411 South London males, and the current research project documented the criminal careers of these males up to 40 years of age based on conviction records.

Abstract

The research project also investigated the criminal careers of biological mothers and fathers up to 70 years of age and those of brothers, sisters, wives, and cohabitees. Findings revealed the prevalence of convictions was remarkably high for study males (40 percent) and their brothers up to 40 years of age (43 percent). The age-crime curve showed a peak in the teenage years only for the young generation. The average age of offending was 30 years for fathers and 35 years for mothers, and offending by mothers was equally likely at older and younger ages. About 5 to 6 percent of males and 2 percent of females committed half of all offenses in each offender category. Most male offenders did not desist after the first offense but persisted in offending. The probability of persistence was especially high after the fourth offense. The average age of onset was 18-21 years for the younger generation, 27 years for fathers, and 33 years for mothers. The average age of desistance was 24-25 years for the young generation, 36 years for fathers, and 38 years for mothers. Excluding one-time offenders, the average duration of criminal careers was 8-11 years for the young generation and 15-16 years for the older generation. The average time interval between offenses was 3 years for the younger generation and 8 years for the older generation. In many comparisons, the most striking differences between generations rather than between males and females. The authors conclude that, when criminal careers are followed up to later ages, offending seems far less concentrated in the teenage years and far more persistent throughout life than is commonly believed. 45 references, 8 tables, and 2 figures