נתיבי פשיעה בקרב אסירים בוגרים צעירים בישראל: מאפיינים סוציולוגיים ומאפייני אישיות

The purpose of the current study was to examine the suitability of the "pathways to crime"model of prisoners in general, and by type of offense in particular, for explaining the delinquency of young adult offenders. The study included 114 young adult prisoners in carcerated for committing violent, property, drug, or sex offenses. The underlying assumption behind the model’s premises is that exploration of the socio demographic background of the offenders, as well as their level of aggressiveness, self-control, and conservatism, might help understand the pathways leading to crime. The participants completed questionnaires that tap these variables. The findings indicated a large degree of similarity between the prisoners, regardless of the type of offense committed. The similarity was evident in both, the oppressive socio demographic backgrounds of the prisoners (exposure to criminal activity or abuse, childhood problems, substance abuse,and the like), and the high level of aggressiveness coupled with low levels of conservatism and self-control. It appears that all participants fit the model of a chronic pathway to crime. However, the attempt to distinguish among the groups by type of offense was unsuccessful. It therefore appears that the profile of crime pathways among young adults is more complex than that delineated by the model, and that the distinction between young adult criminals in general, and by type of offense in particular, requires further study.