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Adolescence is Pre-eminently the Criminal Age

NCJ Number
103407
Journal
Police Journal Volume: LVIX Issue: 4 Dated: (October-December 1986) Pages: 348-355
Author(s)
P Mackay
Date Published
1986
Length
6 pages
Annotation
In 1905, the American psychologist, G. S. Hall, asserted that adolesence is the age of criminality.
Abstract
While many people feel this association between adolesence and criminality is a recent phenomenon, Aristotle accused the youth of his day of lacking in restraint and behaving in an extreme fashion. Further, the equation of youth and turmoil and rebelliousness is not new and has been substantiated by much research. Recent studies suggest, however, that adolesence is not necessarily a period of turmoil and stress. Although the adolescence-criminality relationship appears to be borne out by statistics, statistics can be manipulated; it is possible that they reflect a tendency for inexperienced youth to be more likely to be caught than older offenders. Nonetheless, the highest rate of offending is found during adolescence, with 30 percent of offenses committed by members of this age group. Overall, it is difficult not to conclude that adolescent offending is not a new problem and that adolescence is a pre-eminently criminal age. 11 references and 22-item bibliography.

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