NCJ Number
48671
Journal
ISRAEL ANNALS OF PSYCHIATRY AND RELATED DISCIPLINES Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1976) Pages: 280-288
Date Published
1976
Length
9 pages
Annotation
DATA ON SEX, COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, ECOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION, IMMIGRATION PATTERNS, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, TYPE OF OFFENSES, RATES OF RECIDIVISM, AND TYPES OF COURT DISPOSITION ARE GIVEN FOR OFFENDERS 60 YEARS AND OVER.
Abstract
PERSONS 60 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER WHO COMMITTED CRIMES DURING A SELECTED 5-YEAR PERIOD FROM 1960 TO 1965 WERE STUDIED. THE SUBJECTS WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE THEY DISPLAYED SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY THE EFFECT OF ADJUSTMENT NECESSITATED BY THE MASS MIGRATION INTO ISRAEL BETWEEN 1948 AND 1953. STATISTICS ON OFFENSES AND OFFENDERS WERE GAINED FROM ANNUAL POLICE STATISTICS AND FIGURES ON CONVICTIONS FROM THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE. WOMEN CONSTITUTED 12.4 PERCENT OF THE AGED OFFENDER POPULATION, WHICH IS ABOUT 2.5 PERCENT ABOVE THE PROPORTION OF ADULT WOMEN IN THE GENERAL ADULT CRIMINAL POPULATION. FIRST OFFENDERS COMPOSED 90.9 PERCENT OF THE AGED WOMEN OFFENDERS. OF THOSE WHOSE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IS KNOWN, 47.6 PERCENT OF THE AGED OFFENDERS ARE FROM EUROPE OR AMERICA, 15.1 PERCENT FROM AFRICA, 32.7 PERCENT FROM ASIA, AND 4.6 PERCENT ARE ISRAELI. FOR BOTH MALE AND FEMALE AGED OFFENDERS, THE RELATIVE PROPORTION OF AGED OFFENDERS FROM ASIA AND AFRICA WAS HIGHER THAN THEIR PROPORTION OF THE AGED IN THE GENERAL POPULATION. THOSE FROM EUROPE AND AMERICA WERE MUCH UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE CRIMINAL POPULATION COMPARED TO THEIR SHARE IN THE GENERAL AGED POPULATION. THE PATTERN IS SIMILAR FOR JUVENILE AND ADULT CRIME. AGED OFFENDERS WERE FOUND TO HAVE COMMITTED PETTY OFFENSES AND MORAL OFFENSES, ESPECIALLY PEDOPHILIA. THE MAIN OFFENSES WERE THOSE AGAINST PROPERTY AND PERSONS (30-33 PERCENT), FOLLOWED BY OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER (19-20 PERCENT). MOST OF THE FRAUDULENT BEHAVIOR AND FORGERIES INVOLVED ATTEMPTS TO DEFRAUD WELFARE AND ADD NUMBERS TO WELFARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS. OFFENSES AGAINST PERSONS MOST OFTEN INVOLVED INTRAFAMILY ALTERCATIONS. PUBLIC DISORDER OFFENSES OFTEN INVOLVED VIOLENT BEHAVIOR IN WELFARE BUREAUS WHEN DEMANDS WERE NOT MET. IT IS GENERALLY CONCLUDED THAT THE CRIMINALITY PATTERNS OF THE AGED IN ISRAEL REFLECT THE GENERAL PATTERN OF CRIME IN ISRAEL IN TERMS OF SEX, COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, ECOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION, IMMIGRATION PATTERNS, AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. IT IS IN THE TYPE OF OFFENSES, RATES OF RECIDIVISM, AND TYPES OF COURT DISPOSITION THAT THE AGED OFFENDERS DIFFER FROM THE GENERAL ADULT CRIMINALITY. DATA USED ARE INCLUDED IN TABULAR FORM. (RCB)