Explain Wolfgang, Figlio, and Sellin's research on chronic offending. What are some implications of this research?
What will be an ideal response?
Wolfgang, Figlio, and Sellin conducted a study in 1972 in which they used official records to follow the criminal careers of a cohort of 9,945 boys born in Philadelphia in 1945 . They found that one-third of the boys had contact with the police. When severity of offenses was examined, they found that 54% of the samples' delinquent youths were repeat offenders. Furthermore, they found that 6% of those youths were chronic offenders and committed 71% of the homicides, 73% of the rapes, 82% of the robberies, and 69% of the aggravated assaults. In 1958, Wolfgang et al. conducted a similar study and found the sample conclusions. This time, however, they included females and found that only 1% of females in the survey were chronic offenders. This research suggests that by targeting a few chronic offenders, large reductions in the crime rate can be achieved.
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