Larceny Offence in India, Understanding the Contributing Factors: An Explanatory Study

ABSTRACT Larceny is a crime involving the unauthorized taking of others' personal property without employing force or the threat of violence. Studies have examined factors affecting the development of this offence, but there is a lack of understanding regarding the role of demographics in the development of larceny offences. The present study examines the role of demographic variables (social support, educational background, residential background, and socio‐economic status) in the development of larceny offense incarcerated in various Central prisons in India. Data were collected from convicted offenders aged 21–40 years under IPC Sections 378 and 379 through convenient sampling. The role of social support was examined in the context of residential background and education using an independent sample t ‐test. The association between social support and socio‐economic status was analysed using Chi‐square test. The findings indicate that a majority of the offenders come from urban areas (63.0%) and are illiterate (74.1%). Urban offenders reported extremely low social support (49.4%) compared to rural offenders (38%). Illiteracy was associated with lower social support, with 42% of illiterate offenders reporting extremely low social support. However, no significant association between social support levels and socio‐economic status was found. No significant difference was observed in social support based on residence or education. These findings suggest that socio‐economic and educational disparities play an important role in the background of larceny offenders; however, these factors do not significantly influence variations in perceived social support levels.