Recent crime data of aged population of Japan, South Korea, and US depict a rising trend. So crime among the elderly are on the rise! Can anyone theoretically link this phenomenon? I have gone through some theories- 'Age-Crime Distribution', 'Life-Course Perspectives', and 'Maturation' which are constructed on the premise that crime will reach peak at a certain age (late adolescence) and decline again. These theories assume the strong dominance of biological constructs. The hypothesis in these theories will remain fixed regardless of the change in time, race, geography, and economy. However, there are some factors like 'Self-Control' and 'Social Institutional Ingredients' are not considered yet.
Can anyone recommend some alternative theories to explain the phenomenon 'Crime at old age'?
Thanks a lot.
You might find the following document particularly relevant.
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/theoretical-perspectives-deviant-behavior-among-elderly-older
It talks about Social bonding theory, Anomie or strain theory. However, those are not theories specifically intended to address elderly crime. The authors have modified social learning and social bonding theories and tested them on alcohol behavior among the elderly.
Morning,
I suppose part of the question would need to be are these recidivist offenders (committed crime throughout their lives) or are they new offenders?
If the former then could community justice measures as opposed to incarceration be playing a part?
If the latter you have a very interesting development indeed?
I suppose, in addition, the mirror question would need to be are crime rates amongst the young falling? Do bear in mind though that much of today's crime is committed online and recording of such is far from straightforward - so if we accept it is the young committing perhaps unrecorded crime online has crime simply 'moved', and as such the old are showing out because they commit more 'traditional' (and easy to record) crimes?
Really interesting questions... thanks for sharing!
Thanks a lot! If the crimes among young fall, then there must be a question -how the crime is taking place! Here, as the definition of crimes and reporting are not changed yet, we focus on the reported (traditional) crime. Again, we must think about the mirror, crime among the young, to reinforce the claim.
Very much critical thinking!
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