ABSTRACT
One of the facts of fundamental importance in criminology is that, as far as arrests and convictions are concerned, women are far less commonly involved in crime than men. The ratio of men to women among those cautioned for or convicted of indictable offences decreases with age. Psychological tests involving sex-linked attitudes and opinions fail to discriminate between the sexes in such higher educational groups. The most important question relating to the age of the delinquent concerns his maturation, or the age at which delinquency comes to an end. One hypothesis which has been raised is that delinquency may have a similar incidence at all ages, but that boys are more easily caught at the peak ages. No one plays a more important part than the police in the control of delinquency, and cultural variations in their practice and social role have the greatest significance.
