The Group Hazard Hypothesis: a Reexamination

Abstract

Several research studies have indicated that juveniles who commit delinquent acts in a group have a higher probability of arrest than juveniles committing delinquent acts alone. According to the group hazard hypothesis, juveniles who commit delinquent acts with others are more likely to be detected, or to be arrested after being detected, than juveniles acting alone. However, a review of the available support for the hypothesis suggests, for each type of evidence, alternative explanations for the findings. Furthermore, a test of the group hazard hypothesis using path analytic techniques suggests that the hypothesis is not a strong predictor of arrest for juveniles.