Dear colleagues,

One of the most consistent findings in criminological inquiries is the prevalence of criminal behavior in young adult populations (Hirschi and Gottfredson 1983) with scholars in sociology, psychology, social psychology, and criminology/criminal justice consistently finding such acts as substance use, property crimes, and violent crimes to be common in young adult populations (Salvatore 2018). Official statistics support these findings. In 2018, arrests for those between the ages of 18 and 29 represented the bulk of all arrests in the United States (UCR 2018). For example, looking at murder and non-negligent manslaughter, the highest percentage of arrests occurred in those aged 25–29, which accounted for 1637 arrests (UCR 2018). Similarly, looking at property crimes, such as burglary, 25–29-year-olds had the highest number of arrests of all age groups, with 23,255 arrests (UCR 2018).

Theoretical paradigms such as life course or developmental criminology have utilized theories such as the age-graded theory of informal social control, social bonding theory, and Moffitt's developmental taxonomy to explain these patterns of behavior. In recent years, research has paid increased attention to how changing social trends, such as the evolution of emerging adulthood as a distant stage of the life course, have influenced the criminal behaviors of young adults (Arnett 2015; Salvatore 2018). Theoretical innovations, such as the emerging adulthood gap, have helped to integrate emerging adulthood into the arena of criminological theory.

Thus, it is timely to publish a Special Issue on understanding the criminal behaviors of young adults.

Contributions may address, but need not be limited to, the following questions:

• What is the relationship between demographic characteristics and youth offending?
• What is the influence of emerging adulthood on youth offending?
• What role do prevention and treatment programs play in long-term offending trajectories or youth offending?
• What theoretical innovations may help to explain youth offending in recent cohorts?
• What innovations or strategies can be utilized to address the relationship between police and youth offending?
• What is the role of traditional and social media in influencing youth offending?
• What is the role of sexuality and gender identity in youth offending and victimization experiences?
• What are the differences in patterns of youth offending between youth populations in the United States and other countries?

References

 Arnett, Jeffrey Jenson. 2015. Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties. New York: Oxford University Press.

 Hirschi, Travis and Michael Gottfredson. 1983. Age and the Explanation of Crime. American Journal of Sociology, 89, 552-582.

 Salvatore, Christopher 2018. Sex, Crime, Drugs, and Just Plain Stupid Behaviors: The New Face of Young Adulthood in America. Cham Switzerland: Palgrave/Macmillan

 Uniform Crime Report. 2018 Crime in the United States. Retrieved Using: https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/topic-pages/tables/table-38

Dr. Christopher Salvatore
Guest Editor

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