Citation

McCluskey CP, McCluskey JD, Bynum TS. J. Crim. Justice 2006; 34(5): 531-541.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2006.09.008

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Currently there is great concern regarding the high homicide rate and persistent weapon carrying among urban youth. Criminal career research has offered criminology an opportunity to understand offending as a process that has a beginning, middle, and end. Using that framework, the current study examined a contemporary cohort of arrestees and estimated the extent to which age of first arrest predicts future violent and gun offending. Net of demographic and offending variables, the results indicated that early onset was a significant predictor of serious violent offenses and weapon involvement. Theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.