What Is Bcareer In Crime

Scholars have attempted to investigate a so-called Bcareer in crime^ by documenting a host of significant issues such as the onset, duration, and trajectories of these careers. In this context, there are few topics that rival the research and policy attention focused on serious, violent, and chronic offenders. Unfortunately, much less attention has been devoted to females in these important research arenas. In order to address this serious deficiency in the literature, this paper examines females in the 1958 Philadelphia Birth Cohort. Specifically, we examine two crucial issues. First, does the way a delinquent girl begins her criminal career determine the trajectory that will be followed? Second, what is it about the first few offenses committed by …show more content…
With a large number of subjects and extensive criminal history information through age 26, these data enable us to study female delinquency and criminal careers in ways that are unavailable in almost all other research. Based on the findings, we offer suggestions on how knowledge about female criminality might affect future research and policy