Adopting a criminal career/developmental approach, the research seeks to document the prevalence and frequency of offending in the Western Australian population and identify observable group differences in these criminal career dimensions. "Groups" of primary interest are those defined by gender and Aboriginal status.
The rationale for doing this is simple - to provide a better understanding of offending so as to inform criminological theory and develop more effective (and, potentially, better targeted) crime prevention and crime reduction strategies. By charting the distinctive developmental pathways of criminal activity for different groups of offenders, and by understanding what factors influence these distinct pathways, policymakers and practitioners will be better placed to determine whether and how clusters of offenders can be targeted with specific interventions.
The purpose of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of the development of offending over the life course and to explore if, and how, offending behaviour varies in ways that reflect the diversity of the general population. The thesis documents the prevalence and frequency of offending in the Western Australian population and investigates whether or not there are observable “group” differences in these criminal career dimensions. “Groups” of primary interest are those defined by gender and Aboriginal status. The study uses linked, administrative data drawn from multiple government agencies. A risk factor framework is used to identify the correlates associated with participation in and frequency of offending. While the identification of correlates per se does not make explicit the mechanism by which these factors affect offending, the process is seen as an important first step towards a deeper and more causative explanation of why people offend.