Gerontological control theory: an exploratory study of the elderly's participation in index offenses from 1940 through 1980.

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the elderly population in the United States has increased in both absolute number and percentage of the total population. During this period of time, there has also been a dramatic increase in the number of Index crimes committed (homicide, forcible rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, and auto theft). This study investigates the possible relationships between these two concurrent phenomena in order to detect if the elderly's participation in Index crimes has substantially increased throughout the period from 1940 to 1980. This exploratory study draws upon and attempts to integrate two major sociological theories: from the field of gerontology, the theory of social disengagement; and from the field of criminology, the theory of social control. Although these two theories pertain to two different social phenomena they have many common elements. When combined, these commonalities form the Gerontological Control Theory. Gerontological control theory has been formulated in an attempt to give insight into the elderly's increased participation in Index offenses. Available data from the Uniform Crime Reports tend to support the gerontological control theory when it is applied to Index offenses in general, and especially in regard to Index property offenses (burglary, larceny-theft, and auto theft). This support diminishes when it is applied to the violent Index offenses (homicide, forcible rape, aggravated assault, and robbery).