NCJ Number
243500
Journal
Global Crime Volume: 14 Issue: 2-3 Dated: May - August 2013 Pages: 123-140
Date Published
May 2013
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article compares the characteristics of police-reported co-offending groups and solo offenders in Canada, England and the United States.
Abstract
This article compares the characteristics of police-reported co-offending groups and solo offenders in Canada, England and the United States. Comparative analysis of crime in these three countries is fostered by the relative similarity of their substantive criminal codes (all originating in English common law), their approaches to law enforcement, and their crime recording procedures. The data include over 100,000 incidents cleared by a large United Kingdom police force, 2.5 million incidents in Canada, and 1.3 million incidents in 36 States in the United States, in the first decade of the 21st century. Comparative analyses include the prevalence of co-offending, the size and composition of co-offending groups, and key correlates of group crime, such as offence type and the age and sex of participants. Substantial similarities are observed across the three datasets, although there are also intriguing differences. These findings are discussed in relation to ongoing attempts to draw general conclusions regarding the nature and extent of group crime and co-offending networks. Abstract published by arrangement with Taylor and Francis.