ABSTRACT
The argument in a nutshell People who commit crime are a diverse population. Almost everybody commits trivial offences from time to time in their lives. Occasionally, a normally lawabiding person will commit a serious, isolated offence such as murder, fraud, or sexual assault. Some people engage in bouts of criminal activity for a relatively brief period of their lives – typically during adolescence – then desist. On the other hand, other people begin getting into trouble with authority from an early age and commit frequent and serious crimes throughout their lives. Offenders may specialise in one type of crime, or they may be versatile in the crimes that they commit. They may offend alone or in the company of others. Some offenders carefully plan their offences and others act impulsively.
