Generational Shifts and Law Enforcement Impacts on the Younger Generation of Organized Crime Offenders in Italy and the Netherlands

• In Event: Organized crime: involvement, determinants, and impact

Abstract

In previous comparative research on Italian and Dutch organized crime offenders, Italian offenders exhibited higher offending rates, more violence, earlier onset and decline, while Dutch offenders reported a slower decline, later onset, and a higher prevalence of drug-related and property offenses. Criminal careers also varied across birth decades, with younger offenders in both countries reporting higher frequencies of criminal activity. This prompts an examination of whether generational shifts, increased law enforcement, or sampling bias are driving these changes.
This paper tests the generational shift and increased law enforcement hypotheses while controlling for sampling biases. We analyze the criminal career parameters and types of crimes committed by organized crime offenders in Italy and the Netherlands, born in different decades, during youth (up to age 21) and early adulthood (up to age 30), while selecting similar observation periods.

Authors

• Victor van der Geest, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• Francesco Calderoni, Transcrime / Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan)

• Tommaso Comunale, Center for the Study of Democracy

• Edward Kleemans, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam