MYTH OF THE RESPECTABLE TRAFFIC OFFENDER - TWENTY YEARS LATER (FROM NEW PATHS IN CRIMINOLOGY - INTERDISCIPLINARY AND INTERCULTURAL EXPLORATIONS, 1979, BY SARNOFF A MEDNICK AND S GIORA SHOHAM - SEE NCJ-55340)

• NCJ Number: 55344
• Author(s): P WOLF
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Lexington Books
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DATA ON PENAL CODE VIOLATIONS BY TRAFFIC OFFENDERS IN DENMARK ARE EXAMINED FOR THEIR BEARING UPON DENMARK'S DISTINCTION BETWEEN PENAL CODE VIOLATIONS AND VIOLATIONS OF SPECIAL LAWS.

Abstract

IN DENMARK ONLY INFRINGEMENTS OF THE PENAL CODE (THE TRADITIONAL CRIMES AGAINST THE STATE, PERSONS, OR PROPERTY) ARE REGARDED AS CRIMINAL ACTS. VIOLATIONS OF SPECIAL LAWS (TRAFFIC AND DRIVING OFFENSES, OFFENSES AGAINST PRICE REGULATIONS, RATIONING LAWS, ECONOMIC LAWS, POLICE REGULATONS, ETC.) ARE NOT REALLY THOUGHT OF AS CRIMES. DATA ON NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLES OF THE DANISH ADULT MALE POPULATION FOR 1953-1957 AND 1975-1976 SHOW THAT THE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL PENAL CODE OFFENDERS IN DENMARK INCREASED DURING A 20-YEAR PERIOD FROM 10 PERCENT OF ALL DANISH ADULT MALES TO ABOUT 14 PERCENT. THE CORRESPONDING INCREASE FOR SPECIAL LAW OFFENDERS WAS FROM 9 TO 10 PERCENT. HOWEVER, WITH THE DISAPPEARANCE OF WAR-RELATED RATIONING AND PRICE RESTRICTIONS, TRAFFIC LAW OFFENSES IN THE 1970'S ACCOUNTED FOR A FAR GREATER PROPORTION OF ALL SPECIAL LAW OFFENSES THAN HAD BEEN THE CASE IN THE 1950'S. DATA FOR BOTH PERIODS INDICATE THAT TRAFFIC OFFENDERS ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY THAN OTHER ADULT MALES TO BE PENAL CODE OFFENDERS. CONVERSELY, PENAL CODE OFFENDERS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN NONOFFENDERS TO BE TRAFFIC CODE VIOLATORS. THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE VIEW OF THE OTHERWISE LAW-ABIDING, RESPECTABLE TRAFFIC OFFENDER IS A MYTH. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)