THE "DANGER PERIOD"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 100, 24 October 1925, Page 16

THE "DANGER PERIOD"

WHEN CRIMINALS ARE MADE.

Is Ihcro a "danger period" for men? According to a Blue Book on Criminal Statistics issued- by., the British Home I Office, there is. More men fall foul of the law in eariy manhood, it seems, than at any other time of their lives. Of the 46,807 persons convicted of fill classes of crime during 1923 no fewer than 10,----685 were men between tho ages of 21 and 30. .Curiously enough, the danger period i for women is not until 10 years later. Perhaps, up to the age of 30, women are hopeful of achieving matrimony, and then, hs the years advance and that hope disappears, follow courses, either through economic necessity or adventurous spirit, which lead to trouble.

As was only to. be expected, these statistics clearly demonstrate that the aga of youth is the age of daring and callousness, for there were 2000 odd convictions for a-ets of violence, including burglary, against men between 16 and 30. Incidentally, 22 women were convicted of burglary, ono being well over 50 'years of age. Truly tho spirit of daring manifests itself strangely. For somo reason or other, forgery-is regarded in popular imagination us an- offence peculiar to elderly mcv—the wicked uncle, the unscrupulous lawyer, and tho like. Actually it is a young man's crime. Nin-cty-fivo men under 40 years of age were convicted of this offeuco iv 1923, four being under 21.

It seems, too, that wo must roviso our idea, of the "receiver" (writes "A Psychologist" in the "'Daily Mail"). Everyone imagines this king of criminals as an old man steeped in vice—a misleader of foolish youth. Tho truth is that only nino persons over 60, one boiug a ivouian, were convicted during tho year Tinder review. But there were 138 between tho ages of 21 and 30, and 100 between 30 and 40. All men, so we arc told, arc liars. Apparently women run them very close, for of the 21 persons' convicted of perjury 13 were men .and eirljt women 1'! Another curious psychological fact is that, although 164 women were convicted of crueltyj to children, orily three were guilty of'cruelty; to animals.