Relationship Between Juvenile and Adult Crime

• NCJ Number: 198346
• Author(s): Guyonne Kalb; Jenny Williams
• Date Published: April 2002
• Length: 27 pages
• Corporate Author: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research
• Sale Source: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Melbourne Institute Working Paper No. 4/02; downloaded December 16, 2002.

Annotation

This article examines the relationship between juvenile crime and later involvement in adult criminal behavior.

Abstract

The authors explain that previous research has suggested that there is a positive relationship regarding the impact of juvenile crime on later adult involvement in criminal behavior. Thus, according to previous research, juvenile crime predicts adult crime. The authors used data from the Delinquency in a Birth Cohort II study to probe whether this apparent relationship is due to unobserved characteristics that increase both the propensity to engage in juvenile and adult crime or if the relationship is truly due to a state dependence in crime. This distinction is important from a policy perspective; if the relationship is actually due to a state dependence in crime, policies aimed at reducing juvenile crime should also reduce later adult criminal behavior, reducing the overall crime rate. The results of a treatments effects model indicates that both state dependence in crime and heterogeneity influence the relationship between juvenile and adult crime. The authors found the greatest casual influence between juvenile and adult crime for white males and for males with fewer years of education. As such, policies aimed at reducing juvenile involvement in crime should also work to reduce the overall rate of crime for adults. References, appendices