Towards a gendered understanding of adult-onset offending: a comparative analysis of male and female prisoners in Australia

• In Event: Developmental and Life Course Perspectives on Early and Late Onset Offending

Abstract

Until recently, Developmental and Life Course criminologists have treated adult-onset offending as an anomaly, the consequence of which is that there has been limited theoretical innovation. Further, despite some evidence of gender differences in prevalence, gender comparisons of adult-onset offending trajectories remain limited. Using a sample of 2,605 adult male and female offenders from the Australian Institute of Criminology’s Drug Use Careers of Offenders (DUCO) study, we explore gender differences in the nature of adult-onset offending and its correlates. Our findings point to a number of important differences between men and women, specifically as they relate to the type of offending at onset, as well as the probability of persistence and the nature of offending thereafter. Drug use and concurrent experiences of domestic and family violence both emerge as key risk markers, especially for women who start their offending in adulthood. Further, our data show that while early childhood risk factors are less prevalent among the adult-onset population, a sizable number still experience significant adversity in their youth. We argue that understanding the apparent delayed impact of early childhood risk factors, particularly among women, is key to furthering developmental and life course theories of adult-onset offending.

Authors

• Jason L. Payne, Australian National University

• Lisa Broidy, Griffith University / University of New Mexico

• Alex R. Piquero, University of Texas at Dallas