Violence and Network Change: The Influence of Violent Behavior and Co-Offending on Offenders' Centrality in Co-Offending Networks

Research on violent behavior transmission has largely focused on how violent co-offenders shape individual trajectories, overlooking their impact on network positions. This study examines how violent histories, co-offenders' positions, and co-offending interactions affect offenders' centrality over time. Using police data from 2010 to 2022 on n = 1,693 offenders, we conducted multinomial logistic regressions on changes in degree, betweenness, and eigenvector centrality. Offenders committing more violent offenses were more likely to lose importance, while severely violent offenders showed increases in centrality. Co-offending with intermediaries tended to increase importance. These findings highlight how violence and co-offending interactions may shape network positions.