Crime Buddies: What the Numbers Say About Teamwork in Crime

Crime doesn't always happen alone. Often, people team up to break the law. This is called co-offending. It's a big deal because it shows how friends, groups, and teamwork play a role in crime. A recent study looked at this teamwork in crime. They checked out 110 studies from 17 countries. These studies had info on over 45 million crimes and 3. 4 million offenders. The study found that about 29% of crimes were committed by teams. That's nearly one in three crimes. Also, about half of the offenders worked with someone else. Most of these teams were small, with an average of 2. 73 people. But here's a twist: violent crimes had bigger teams than property crimes. That's the opposite of what you might expect. Young people were more likely to team up for crime. Their groups were also bigger. Men tended to form larger teams than women. But interestingly, the number of men and women in these teams was about the same. The study also pointed out that different studies reported things differently. This makes it hard to compare them. The researchers say we need better, more standard ways to report this kind of data. This study gives a fresh look at how crime teams work. It's not just about the crimes. It's about the people and their connections. Understanding this can help fight crime better. But remember, this is just one piece of the puzzle. There's still a lot to learn about how and why people team up to break the law.