Pathways to Crime

Abstract

The term “crime” categorizes various behaviors that are considered offenses and punishable by law, engaged in by an individual and against another person. Offenses can be of a physical, property, or sexual nature. A wide-reaching and complex range of risk and protective factors have been identified across individual, family, peer, and societal domains as playing roles in the development of crime. The effects of crime are wide reaching and concern not only the perpetrator, but also victims and witnesses. This entry begins with a discussion of definitions of crime, followed by an overview of international rates of crime. Next, an overview of some of the theoretical perspectives on pathways to ..