Long-Term Effects of Social and Personal Capital on Offending Trajectories in a Sample of White-Collar Offenders

Abstract

Research has shown that investments in social and personal capital prevent future offending. These studies have focused exclusively on street crimes, as well as among both community and offender samples. Unknown is the extent to which the capital-oriented explanation relates among white-collar offenders and their offending. This study uses a unique source of data of convicted white-collar offenders to examine how social and personal capital distinguishes between offending trajectories estimated over a 10-year follow-up period. Results show that personal but not necessarily social capital distinguishes between low-and both medium-and high-rate offending trajectories. A combined measure of capital was related to membership in a low-rate offending trajectory and protective against both medium-and high-rate offending trajectories.