The onset of criminal careers of organized crime offenders in Poland: the relationship between age and crime
The onset of criminal careers of organized crime offenders in Poland: the relationship between age and crime

Summary/Abstract: Objectives:The article analyses the influence of the age of organized crime offenders on the committed crimes. The members of organized criminal groups in Poland are taken into closer consideration. The central research questions are: Which crimes are typical for the onset of the members of organized criminal groups in Poland? How old are the Polish members of organized criminal groups at the time of the onset of their criminal careers? Does the age of a person at the beginning of a criminal career influence the type of the first committed offence? Which circumstances in the respondents’ opinion had an impact on the onset of a criminal career at the particular stage of their life?Material and methods:In this particular study statistical analysis and legal methods (including formal legal method) were applied to approach the raised questions and to formulate conclusions. The study is based on the own research, where the research sample was to allow both qualitative and quantitative research.Results:The own research confirmed that in Poland the onset of a criminal career of organized crime offenders is different from the onset of a criminal career of high-volume crime offenders. The motivation, circumstances of the onset of criminal activities, and the profile of criminal actions change and develop in accordance with the age. Findings suggest that the older was a criminal who was breaking the law for the first time, the more thoughtful and rational - at a given stage of life - was the choice.Conclusions:From the perspective of developmental criminology, the influence of the life-course on crime is one of the most important issues. The research results concerning the organized criminal offenders indicate that the analyses of criminal careers not only young but also experienced older offenders are very beneficial.

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