Young People as Victims, Offenders, or Victim-Offenders: Cross-Country Perspectives

• In Event: ISRD Panel 1 New Insights: A Glimpse into the Forthcoming ISRD4 Book on Youth Crime in a Digital World

Abstract

This presentation reviews comprehensive findings on youth crime drawn from the fourth sweep of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD4), which sampled over 50,000 adolescents across 21 countries. The chapter focuses on quantifying and comparing the prevalence of victimization and offending, highlighting diverse forms of crime ranging from traditional offenses such as theft, assault, and vandalism to emerging issues like cyber fraud and online harassment. A particular emphasis is placed on the methodological challenges inherent in cross-national comparisons. An important part of the analysis is the exploration of the victim-offender overlap. Overall, this presentation lays the groundwork for understanding how youth crime is experienced differently across nations while highlighting the strengths and limitations of cross-national self-report research in criminology.

Authors

• Ineke Haen Marshall, Northeastern University

• Karin Arbach, Institute of Psychological Researches, National Council of Scientific and Technological Research and National University of Córdoba (Argentina)

• Zuzana Podaná, Katedra sociologie, Charles University Prague

• Dirk Enzmann, University of Hamburg