Age*

• Age


  young people are more likely to offend, and more likely to receive a caution for 1st offence.
• McVie (2004) - Age 


  the relationship between age and offending is not clear-cut, data is often categorised which masks precise trends.
• Soothill et al (2004)


  peak age of conviction (burglar) is 16, whereas drug offences peaked during early 20s before declining.
• Why were age patterns, in crime, questioned?

  • youth crime is more visible
  • adult crime may go undetected
• Cicourel (1968)

  • ethnographic study on youths being processed through the CJS
  • police officers stereotyped youths based on race, appearance, and socioeconomic status
  • marginalised labelled as deviant
  • middle class treated more leniently