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SEX AND AREA VARIATIONS IN DELINQUENCY RATES IN AN ENGLISH CITY

NCJ Number
51216
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1973) Pages: 121-137
Author(s)
A EDWARDS
Date Published
1973
Length
17 pages
Annotation
PATTERNS OF DELINQUENCY AMONG YOUTHS IN NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, AN INDUSTRIAL CITY IN NORTHEAST ENGLAND, ARE EXAMINED, WITH EMPHASIS ON COMPARISONS AMONG NEIGHBORHOODS AND BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES.
Abstract
DELINQUENCY IS DEFINED AS AN OFFENSE THAT LEADS TO A CONVICTION IN JUVENILE OR ADULT COURT. TWO TYPES OF RATES ARE CALCULATED: INCIDENCE RATES FOR 1967 AND PREVALENCE RATES FOR THE COHORT BORN IN 1949 (FOLLOWED THROUGH 1968). THE AGE RANGE IS 12 THROUGH 18 FOR THE INCIDENCE CALCULATION AND 12 THROUGH 19 FOR THE PREVALENCE CALCULATION. COMPARISONS ARE DRAWN BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES AND AMONG THE CITY'S WARDS. THE OVERALL RATE OF DELINQUENCY FOR THE CITY IS 53 CASES PER 1,000 POPULATION FOR MALES AND 10 CASES PER 1,000 POPULATION FOR FEMALES. THE AVERAGE RATES OF DELINQUENCY FOR ALL WARDS WITH ABOVE-AVERAGE PROPORTIONS OF MANUAL LABORERS IN THE GENERAL POPULATION ARE 73 FOR BOYS AND 13 FOR GIRLS. FOR A THREE-WARD AREA CHARACTERIZED AS THE CITY'S SLUM, THE RATES ARE 107 FOR BOYS AND 27 FOR GIRLS. TWO OF THE THREE WARDS IN THIS AREA ARE AMONG THE CITY'S TOP-RANKING DELINQUENCY INCIDENCE WARDS. ANALYSIS OF PREVALENCE RATES FOR THE 1949 COHORT SHOWS THAT TWO OF THE THREE TOP-RANKING INCIDENCE WARDS ARE ALSO AMONG THE TOP THREE PREVALENCE WARDS, FOR BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS. HOWEVER, THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF WARDS ARE NOT THE SAME FOR THE TWO TYPES OF MEASUREMENT. THERE APPEARS TO BE A LACK OF CONGRUENCE BETWEEN THE DELINQUENCY PRONENESS OF THE VARIOUS WARDS AS MEASURED BY MALE DELINQUENCY AND THAT MEASURED BY FEMALE DELINQUENCY, PARTICULARLY WHEN PREVALENCE (AS OPPOSED TO INCIDENCE) RATES ARE CONSIDERED. THE HIGHEST PREVALENCE RATE FOR ANY NEWCASTLE WARD IS 51 CASES (ALL BOYS) PER 100 COHORT MEMBERS. THE HIGHEST RATE FOR GIRLS IS 9 CASES PER 100. THE DATA SUGGEST THAT, EVEN IN AREAS WHERE CRIME IS FAIRLY WIDESPREAD, GIRLS SEEM TO BE FAR MORE ABLE THAN BOYS TO RESIST WHATEVER PRESSURES RESULT IN CONTACTS WITH THE POLICE AND THE COURTS. THE DATA ALSO SHOW THAT, GENERALLY, THE MORE DELINQUENT A WARD, THE HIGHER THE PROPORTION OF MULTIPLE OFFENDERS IN THE DELINQUENT POPULATION. COMPARISONS ARE DRAWN WITH FINDINGS FROM AMERICAN STUDIES AND OTHER BRITISH STUDIES. ONE SUCH COMPARISON NOTES THAT AMERICAN DELINQUENCY INCIDENCE RATES ARE CONSISTENTLY HIGHER AND VARIATIONS AMONG AREAS AND TRACTS CONSISTENTLY GREATER THAN THOSE FOUND IN BRITISH STUDIES. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)