How Serious Is Debt Among Probation Clients? A Study Into the Prevalence and Scope of Debt in a Dutch Probation Sample

• Author: Vivienne de Vogel,Dike van de Mheen,Gercoline van Beek
• Date: 01 February 2022
• Published date: 01 February 2022
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20981036
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X20981036

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2022, Vol. 66(2-3) 186 –208

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20981036

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Article

How Serious Is Debt Among

Probation Clients? A Study

Into the Prevalence and

Scope of Debt in a Dutch

Probation Sample

Gercoline van Beek1, Vivienne de Vogel1,

and Dike van de Mheen2

Abstract

Although studies point to a relationship between debt and crime, there is a limited

understanding of their reciprocal relationship and possible mediating risk factors.

Moreover, knowledge about the prevalence and scope of debt among offenders is

lacking. Therefore, the present study analyzed 250 client files including risk assessment

data from the Dutch probation service on the prevalence of debt and possibly related

risk factors. The results show that debt is highly prevalent and complex, which

underlines the importance of acquiring more knowledge about debt as a potential

risk factor for relapse during supervision. It was found that problems with regard to

childhood and living situation, education and work/daytime activities, and mental and

physical health may be possible underlying risk factors in the relationship between

debt and crime. These insights can help professionals adequately support clients with

regard to debt in order to prevent recidivism.

Keywords

financial problems, debt, debts, offending, probation

Introduction

In criminological literature, the influence of socioeconomic conditions on crime is a

classic theme (Dunaway et al., 2000; Ellis & McDonald, 2000; Tittle et al., 1978).

1Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands

2Tilburg University, The Netherlands

Corresponding Author:

Gercoline van Beek, Research Group Working With Mandated Clients, Research Centre for Social

Innovation, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, Padualaan 101, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Email: gercoline.vanbeek@hu.nl

981036IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X20981036International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminologyvan Beek et al.

research-article2020

van Beek et al. 187

Research on these socioeconomic factors has mainly been conducted from a macro-

economic perspective. Studies have focused on factors such as the economic situation

of families (e.g., poverty and parental income; Comanor & Phillips, 2002; Galloway

& Skardhamar, 2010; Hsieh & Pugh, 1993), neighborhoods (Leventhal & Brooks-

Gunn, 2001), and household economic resources and unemployment (Bjerk, 2007;

Phillips & Land, 2012). However, several studies have shown that debt at the indi-

vidual level may better indicate worsening financial situations than employment or

income at the societal level (see Aaltonen et al., 2013; Oksanen et al., 2015). For

example, research has shown that debt may mediate the relationship between unem-

ployment and crime, have severe consequences for individuals, enhance criminal

behavior, worsen as a consequence of crime, and hinder clients’ ability to resocialize

and desist from crime (Harris et al., 2010; Hoeve et al., 2014; McCloud & Dwyer,

2011; Van Beek et al., 2020a). Debt and crime thus reinforce each other and this inter-

relatedness may increase the risk of future crime and cumulative problems for the

individual.

Several studies on the relationship between debt and crime have concluded that

debt and crime are strongly related (Aaltonen et al., 2016; Blom et al., 2011; Hoeve

et al., 2011, 2014, 2016). There is evidence that debt is a risk factor for crime, espe-

cially among persistent offenders (De Jong, 2017). In addition, strong reciprocal asso-

ciations between debt and crime were found, and these associations become stronger

with age. For example, a study on male adolescents who were released from a juvenile

correctional institution found that debt was related to a higher risk of recidivism, sug-

gesting that offenders who recidivate are more likely to have debt (Van Dam, 2005).

Overall, the literature indicates that the relationship between debt and crime is a result

of mutual causation and that debt increases the risk of crime, and vice versa (Moffitt

et al., 2002; Siennick, 2009; Van Dam, 2005; Zara & Farrington, 2010).

There is a large body of research on risk factors for offending and recidivism. The

results of that research demonstrate that many risk factors find their origin in early

childhood, education and work, and health (Bonta & Andrews, 2017; Farrington,

2006). For example, evidence has been found that parental education level, low socio-

economic origin, coming from a broken family, serious mental health and substance

use problems of family members, and victimization during childhood might be risk

factors for crime later in life (Amato, 2001; Button et al., 2005; Leschied et al., 2008;

Tuvblad et al., 2006; Wells & Rankin, 1991). It has also been found that lack of educa-

tion and/or work increases the risk of offending. For instance, poor achievement in

school and leaving school at a young age are assumed to be risk factors for crime,

among others reasons, because gaining money and being away from home and school

might support drug use and (minor) crime (Agnew, 2001). Furthermore, several men-

tal disorders including substance abuse as a coping mechanism—often related to dis-

continuity and victimization in childhood—were shown to be a risk factor for different

types of problems later in life, including crime (Douglas et al., 2009, 2013; Goldstein

et al., 2005; Whiting & Fazel, 2020). For example, people who are classified with a

cluster B personality disorder (e.g., the Antisocial Personality Disorder or Narcissistic

Personality Disorder) are more likely to show impulsive behavior, are usually less able