Age and Criminal Behaviour
Age is one of the strongest and most consistent factors that influences criminal behaviour. Understanding the relationship between age and crime helps sociologists explain patterns of offending and develop effective prevention strategies.
Key Definitions:
- Age-crime curve: A pattern showing how criminal behaviour typically peaks in adolescence and early adulthood, then declines with age.
- Youth offending: Criminal acts committed by young people, typically those under 18 years old.
- Desistance: The process of stopping criminal behaviour.
📊 The Age-Crime Curve
The age-crime curve is one of the most consistent findings in criminology. It shows that:
- Criminal behaviour begins in early adolescence (around 10-12 years)
- Peaks in late adolescence/early adulthood (15-19 years)
- Steadily declines throughout adulthood
- By age 28-30, most people have significantly reduced their offending
This pattern is remarkably similar across different countries, time periods and for different types of crime.
💡 Why Does Age Matter?
Age influences criminal behaviour in several important ways:
- Biological factors: Brain development continues until mid-20s
- Social factors: Peer influence is strongest during adolescence
- Economic factors: Young people have fewer legitimate income sources
- Life transitions: Marriage, employment and parenthood in adulthood reduce offending
Why Young People Commit Crimes
Several sociological theories help explain why young people are more likely to engage in criminal behaviour:
Biological and Developmental Factors
The teenage brain is still developing, particularly the prefrontal cortex which controls decision-making, impulse control and understanding consequences. This biological reality helps explain why teenagers might:
- Act impulsively without considering long-term consequences
- Be more susceptible to peer pressure
- Engage in risky behaviours for excitement or status
- Have difficulty regulating strong emotions
👥 Peer Influence
Young people are highly influenced by their peer groups. Adolescence is a time when acceptance by friends becomes extremely important, sometimes leading to:
- Committing crimes to gain status or respect
- Offending in groups rather than alone
- Following peer pressure even when knowing something is wrong
🏠 Family Factors
Family relationships significantly impact youth offending:
- Inconsistent parenting styles
- Family conflict or breakdown
- Criminal family members as negative role models
- Lack of supervision or monitoring
🏫 Educational Factors
School experiences correlate with youth crime:
- School exclusion and truancy
- Poor academic achievement
- Weak attachment to school
- Labelling by teachers as "troublemakers"
Types of Youth Offending
Young people engage in different types of criminal behaviour, often reflecting their age and social circumstances:
🔫 Serious Youth Violence
While relatively rare, serious violent offences by young people receive significant media attention. These include:
- Gang-related violence and knife crime
- Robbery and aggravated assault
- Drug-related violence
These offences are often concentrated in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage and may be linked to territorial disputes or status-seeking.
🚶 Anti-social Behaviour
More common but less serious offences include:
- Vandalism and graffiti
- Public drinking and drug use
- Shoplifting and minor theft
- Disorderly conduct
These behaviours often reflect boredom, lack of youth facilities and the desire for excitement or peer approval.
Case Study Focus: The Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime
This landmark longitudinal study followed 4,300 young people in Edinburgh from age 12 into adulthood. Key findings included:
- By age 17, 96% of boys and 85% of girls had committed at least one offence (including minor ones)
- Most youth offending was relatively minor and temporary
- A small group (around 10%) were responsible for the majority of serious offences
- Early involvement with the justice system actually increased the likelihood of continued offending
- Poverty and neighbourhood deprivation were strongly linked to serious and persistent offending
This study challenged the idea that youth offenders are a distinct group and showed how social factors significantly influence criminal careers.
Societal Responses to Youth Crime
How society responds to youth crime reflects broader attitudes about young people, responsibility and the purpose of punishment:
Youth Justice Systems
Different countries take varying approaches to youth justice:
- Welfare model: Focuses on addressing underlying needs and problems (e.g., Scandinavian countries)
- Justice model: Emphasises accountability and proportionate punishment (e.g., UK)
- Minimum age of criminal responsibility: Varies widely - 10 in England and Wales (one of the lowest in Europe), 14-15 in most European countries
📝 Labelling Theory
How we label young offenders can create a self-fulfilling prophecy:
- Being labelled as "criminal" or "delinquent" can become part of a young person's identity
- Criminal records limit future opportunities for education and employment
- Young people may be excluded from mainstream society and associate more with other offenders
- This can lead to continued and escalating criminal behaviour
🔁 Moral Panics
Media coverage of youth crime often creates moral panics:
- Exaggerated or sensationalised reporting of youth crime
- Young people portrayed as a threat to social order
- Calls for tougher punishment rather than addressing root causes
- Examples include "hoodies", "chavs", "gangs" and "knife crime epidemics"
Ageing Out of Crime
Most young offenders naturally "age out" of crime as they get older. This process of desistance is linked to several factors:
👪 Life Transitions
Key adult transitions reduce criminal behaviour:
- Stable employment
- Marriage or long-term relationships
- Becoming a parent
- Moving to a new area
💪 Maturation
Natural maturation processes include:
- Improved impulse control
- Better decision-making skills
- Reduced susceptibility to peer pressure
- Greater future orientation
💼 Stakes in Conformity
Adults have more to lose:
- Career prospects
- Family responsibilities
- Financial commitments
- Social reputation
Conclusion: The Significance of Age
Age remains one of the most powerful predictors of criminal behaviour. Understanding the age-crime relationship helps us to:
- Develop age-appropriate interventions
- Recognise that most youth offending is temporary
- Focus resources on supporting positive transitions to adulthood
- Address the social factors that make some young people more vulnerable to persistent offending
Rather than seeing youth crime as simply a failure of individual morality, sociologists examine how biological development interacts with social context to shape behaviour at different life stages.