Joan Petersilia2026-03-222026-03-22198110.2307/1143252https://doi.org/10.2307/1143252https://andeanlibrary.org/handle/123456789/58836Citaciones: 5The transition from juvenile to adult court occurs during what are probably the peak years of criminality (ages 16 through 23).Arrest statistics show that the majority of persons arrested for serious crime are in this age category.Recently completed self-report studies confirm the fact that offenders in this age category engage in more frequent and more serious criminality. 1 Although young adults commit a disproportionate amount of serious crime, it appears that their chances of being arrested and convicted are lower than for an adult.One California study indicated that a juvenile is twice as likely to escape conviction for robbery than an adult, and two and a half times as likely to escape conviction for burglary than an adult. 2Research suggests that the probability that a crime will result in an arrest increases with age and criminal experience.Although older criminals may have gained experience and perhaps gotten more sophisticated in their crimes, their experience does not appear to help them evade arrest.Their experience is offset by the fact that as a criminal continues to commit crime, police become aware of his modus operandi, associates, and so on, and his arrest and conviction rates increase.enJuvenile courtJuvenilePsychologyCriminologyForensic engineeringLawComputer securityJuvenile delinquencyEngineeringPolitical sciencearticle