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Statistical presentation

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Population and Education, Social Statistics
Isabell Hartvig Larsen
39 17 33 06

ibc@dst.dk

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Birth Cohort Crime

The statistics shed light on the number of persons in each birth cohort who have been convicted for violation of the penal code during their life time.

The published statistics distributes the birth cohorts by sex and age at first conviction. Furthermore, the statistics show the age at first conviction for groups of offences.

Data description

The statistics on birth cohort shed light on the number of persons in each birth cohort who have been convicted for violation of the penal code during their lifetime. Convictions consist of imprisonments, fines and withdrawals.

The statistics on birth cohort crime form part of the criminal statistics. The criminal statistics include statistics on criminal cases from reported crimes and victims to convictions and also arrests and imprisonments.

The published statistics distributes the birth cohorts by sex and age at first conviction, age at first conviction for groups of offences and the total number of convictions at each age. Corresponding statistics are published for that part of the convictions which are imprisonments.

The convictions concerns the main case as more than one case can be decided in the same conviction. The police chooses one of the cases (typically the most serious) as the main case in a complex of cases. One person can have one or several convictions during a year or several years.

Documentation of the variables in the statistics is available in TIMES (in Danish only).

Classification system

The criminal offences are divided into four subgroups: Sexual offences, Crimes of violence, Offences against property and Other offences.

Sector coverage

Not relevant for these statistics.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Type of sentence: Type of sentence describes the kind of conviction that has been made. It includes unsuspended and suspended imprisonment, fines, withdrawals of charges, prosecution dropped, preventive measures, acquittals etc. A main distinction is made between guilty and not-guilty type of sentences. Acquittals and prosecution dropped constitute not-guilty types of sentences while all other types of sentences constitute guilty type of sentences. In the statistics on birth cohort crime only guilty type of sentences are included.

Type of offence: Type of offence describes the kind of law violation which the conviction concerns. The criminal offences are divided into the penal code, the road traffic act and special law/legislation. In these statistics only offences against the penal code are included, grouped into sexual offences, crimes of violence, offences against property and other offences.

Statistical unit

The unit in the statistics on birth cohort crime is persons.

Statistical population

The population in the statistics consists of persons who were residents in Denmark and were 14 years old as at 1 January each of the years 1980-2021. I.e. the birth cohorts 1965-2006 Each year the statistics is supplemented with a new birth cohort.

Reference area

Denmark, except the Faroe Islands and Greenland

Time coverage

The statistics covers the period from 1980 and onwards

Base period

Not relevant for these statistics.

Unit of measure

Number of persons. Cumulated number. Percentage of birth cohort. Cumulated percentage of birth cohort.

Reference period

01-01-2022- 31-12-2022

Frequency of dissemination

Annual.

Legal acts and other agreements

The Act on Statistics Denmark section 6.

There is no EU Regulation related to the statistics on convictions.

Cost and burden

There is no response burden as the statistics are based on registers.

Comment

Birth Cohort Crime has a Subject Page.