Criminologists are ofren interested in examining interactive effects within a regression context. For example, "holding other relevant factors constant, is the effect of delinquent peers on one's own delinquent conduct the same for males and females?" or "is the effect of a given treatment program comparable between first-time and repeat offenders?" A frequent strategy in examining such interactive effects is to test for the difference between two regression coeficients across independ-1. The points we make in this note about the comparison of regression coefficients are applicable to all regression-type problems that yield maximum likelihood

In a reanalysis of the Milwaukee Domestic Violence Experiment, we examine whether the use of fair procedures on the part of police officers called to the scene of a domestic assault inhibits subsequent assault. Consistent with expectations, we found that procedural justice did suppress subsequent violence, even in the face of adverse outcomes. When police acted in a procedurally fair manner when arresting assault suspects, the rate of subsequent domestic violence was significantly lower than when they did not. Moreover, suspects who were arrested and perceived that they were treated in a procedurally fair manner had subsequent assault rates that were as low as those suspects given a more favorable outcome (warned and then released without arrest). The suppression effect of procedural justice did not depend on the personal characteristics of suspects.

Improving juvenile court decision making requires information about how serious adolescent offenders desist from antisocial activity. A systematic research agenda on this topic requires consideration of several processes, including normative development in late adolescence, what constitutes desistance, and the factors likely to promote the end of involvement in antisocial behavior and successful adjustment in early adulthood. This article presents an overview of the major points to consider in pursuing this research agenda. Keywordsdesistance from crime; juvenile delinquency careers; stopping antisocial behaviorWe have always expected a great deal from the juvenile justice system. On one hand, the system is charged with keeping communities safe, using theories and approaches-such as deterrence or incapacitation-that are common to the criminal justice system. In recent years, juvenile courts have the added responsibility to ensure that its responses are proportional, making sure NIH Public Access

Offending specialization has received considerable attention in past research on criminal careers. Relatively little attention has been given to examining the relationships between various sub‐group differences and the extent to which individuals tend toward specialization or versatility in their criminal careers. In the present analysis, we examine hypotheses derived from Moffitt's recent developmental theory that bear directly on offending specialization. Our analysis examines direct relationships between gender, onset age, persistence and offending specialization as well as the interaction of these influences and offending specialization. Our findings reveal results that are both consistent and inconsistent with Moffitt's dual taxonomy of offending behavior.

The age at which people begin to offend and the variety of different offenses that they commit while active have independently received a considerable amount of attention from researchers. However, there has been little attempt to connect these two relatively distinct lines of inquiry. Recently, two prominent criminological theories, Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory of crime and Moffitt's taxonomy of offending behavior, have advanced formal theoretical models that include predictions about the relationship between onset age and offense versatility. The authors test the validity of these predictions using data from the second Philadelphia birth cohort study conducted by Tracy, Wolfgang, and Figlio. In support of the predictions from these theories, the authors find a relationship between onset age and offense versatility. More detailed analyses, however, show that this association vanishes after controlling for age. Thus, there was a tendency for offenders to become more specialized in their offending over time regardless of the age at which they initiated offending. The theoretical implications of this finding are discussed.