Patterns of Violent Juvenile Recidivism

• NCJ Number: 93635
• Author(s): E S Piper
• Date Published: 1983
• Length: 433 pages
• Publication Format: Dissertation/Thesis
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: University of Pennsylvania - doctoral dissertation

Annotation

This study of patterns of violent offending in a cohort of 2,845 juveniles born in Philadelphia in 1958 and residing in that city between the ages of 10 and 17 found that juvenile violence was relatively rare, but that a core group of serious and persistent offenders existed.

Abstract

Data sources include public and private school records, census tracts, and police records. The study analyzed the characteristics of violent offenders with respect to sex, race, socioeconomic status (SES), and age differences. It also differentiated violent from nonviolent offenders on the basis of sociodemographic factors and criminal career variables and examined offense specialization, career escalation, age at onset of criminal activity, and recidivism in violent juvenile offenders. In summary, violent offenses were committed more often by males than females, nonwhites than whites, and low SES individuals than high SES youths. Whereas robbery was predominantely committed by nonwhite males, aggravated assault was more common among white males and simple assault among females. The study found that 65 percent of the robberies by nonwhite males resulted in no harm to the victim, but many aggravated assaults by white males resulted in serious injury. Only 8.6 percent of the subjects and 38.4 percent of delinquency ever committed a violent offense. The probability of recidivism among violent offenders was almost .80. Most violent offenses and a significant proportion of the nonviolent crimes were committed by nonwhite, low SES, chronic offender males. Violent offenders had a younger average age at onset than nonviolent offenders and a greater mean number of offenses and serious index offenses. No offense specialization was found among violent juveniles, and there was little evidence of escalation in seriousness of their offenses. Tables, codesheets, supplemental information on the study's methodology, the Philadelphia crime codes, approximately 260 referneces, and an index are supplied.