in criminological research, especially that from the United States, the question of individual criminal careers has been a central theme since the beginning of the 1980s. Interest in the subject stems from insights regarding variations in individual crime frequencies. The objectives of many career studies have been to examine the possibility of predicting individual crime frequencies and distinguishing between high- and low-rate offenders. An additional aim has been to demonstrate potential means of maximizing the efficiency of the penal system.

The inspiration for the current study originates in the international research. The aim of the study is, however, less goal- and application-oriented than many of the non-Danish studies. The primary purpose of the current analysis is to obtain knowledge about and insight into the distribution of crime at the individual level and to look for patterns in individual offending. “Patterns” refers to similar or consistent trends within or between different aspects of a criminal career, that is, questions like: How is frequency related to desistance? Career studies represent a new method of breaking down and organizing data on the general structure of crime and acquiring basic knowledge about its distribution. This analysis may thus be considered as belonging to the category of basic research in criminology.

In the field of criminology, the outlining of new areas represents an especially potent form of demythologizing. Crime is a popular theme that gives rise to many common, but often inaccurate beliefs about the offender and the offender's behavior.