NCJ Number
160000
Date Published
1993
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This chapter discusses how the probability that an offender will commit a crime depends on his or her ability to find suitable co-offenders; the question is raised as to what extent this search for co-offenders should be incorporated as an element of the routine activities theory of crime.
Abstract
Following a brief review of criminal sociology and its relevance to the issue of co-offenders, the author argues that, in contrast to most previous research, the search for co-offenders is problematic for criminals and does not yield constant outcomes. Various conditions that increase or decrease the availability of accomplices are discussed, with a primary focus on social and proximate variables. The search for a co-offender involves the application of suitability criteria and different choices and trade-offs that shape the duration and crime mix of criminal careers. The chapter concludes with an overview of social conditions that may affect the number of suitable and available accomplices. 58 references