Socio-economic characteristics of adult perpetrators of criminal offences in the Republic of Serbia

The subject of this paper is the research of socio-economic characteristics of adult perpetrators of criminal offences in the Republic of Serbia. The following characteristics of marital status, education, employment status, occupation and nationality. The aim of the paper was to examine the social and economic status of perpetrators and to show that this status is more unfavourable if compared with the total population. The data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia for 2016 in the field of the Judiciary statistics were used in the research. The research included the criminal offences with the largest share in the structure of criminal offences: offences against property, offences against economy, offences against life and limb, offences against marriage and family, as well as offences against public peace and order. The educational structure of perpetrators has been analysed, their employment status and the structure per occupations and the comparative analysis has been made with the corresponding indicators for the total population. The results of the analysis have shown that the educational structure of perpetrators is more unfavourable and the unemployment rate four times higher than the unemployment rate of the total population. In the structure of occupations of perpetrators, the predominant professions include those with low wages for which lower degree of education is required. The economic and social status of female perpetrators is particularly unfavourable. The results reveal low social and economic status of perpetrators of criminal offences and suggest the significance of economic causes of crime in the Republic of Serbia.