ABSTRACT

Using long-term personal background and registered criminal career data on 2,714 police-identified members of Dutch Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMCGs), the current study examines Dutch OMCG membership and its association with members’ criminal careers. Results show that Dutch OMCG members differ from the average Dutch adult male population (N = 6,845,110) in terms of demographic, socio-economic, and criminal career characteristics. Furthermore, the findings corroborate statements that selection into Dutch OMCG membership has changed in recent years. Finally, the study explored the consequences of joining and desisting an OMCG on crime. The findings cautiously demonstrate that desistance from OMCG membership is associated with a drop in total and violent registered criminal behavior. No effects of joining an OMCG on crime were found, which is attributed to recent changes in OMCGs’ membership profile. Implications for future research are discussed.

摘要

目前的研究使用荷兰非法摩托车帮派 (OMCGs) 的 2,714 名警方确定的成员的长期个人背景和登记的犯罪生涯数据，研究了荷兰 OMCG 成员身份及其与成员犯罪生涯的关联。结果表明，荷兰 OMCG 成员在人口统计、社会经济和犯罪职业特征方面与荷兰成年男性的平均人数（N = 6,845,110）不同。此外，调查结果证实了近年来荷兰 OMCG 成员的选择发生了变化。最后，该研究探讨了加入和终止 OMCG 对犯罪的影响。调查结果谨慎地表明，停止 OMCG 会员资格与登记的暴力犯罪行为总数的下降有关。没有发现加入 OMCG 对犯罪的影响，这归因于 OMCG 的会员资料最近发生了变化。讨论了对未来研究的影响。