Criminology : Life Course Criminology

There have been many approaches taken in attempting to uncover the factors that contribute and influence criminal behavior. Criminological theories aim at determining the social, psychological, and biological factors that influence criminality. Three theories that attempt to investigate that causation of crime and criminal behavior are labeling theories, modern biological theories, and psychoanalytical theory.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Kendy Menelas, Department of English, Seminole State College, Sanford, FL 32773.

Juvenile delinquency is a strong predictor of adult criminality. Therefore, professionals aiming to reduce overall crime can benefit by seeking preventative and early intervention methods with troubled youth. This article seeks to address the “psychosocial and psychopathological risk factors as predictors of adult criminal outcomes” (Aebi et al., 2013). The design of the study replicates an older longitudinal study performed by Zurich Adolescent Psychology and Psychopathological Study, or ZAPPS. First, the researchers utilized data from the original study to determine which risk factors have the possibility impacting future adult criminal behavior. Next, the coping strategies of offenders are analyzed to determine if poor coping skills attribute to long-term antisocial behavior.

Youth are often confronted with socio-economical and political challenges including poverty, ethic and minority status and are often cited as at risk for committing long-term community problems like rise in crime due to substance abuse, school drop-out and several forms of academic failures, delinquencies, criminal offenses and unemployment (e.g. Grisso, Vincent & Seagrave, 2005; Champion & Mays, 1991; Fellmeth, 2002). According to Grisso and his colleagues (2005), the argument that in order to help young offenders that were placed under rehabilitation centers reconnect to community and avoid recidivism is to provide them education and employment opportunities upon release. It is in this area where mentoring programs to

In the life course theory there transitions that occur in a person’s life as a part of growing up and developing like many other social theories on crime, it is the family relationship’s that guide these transitions to take place accordingly. If these transitions are not properly guided or become disrupted it can lead to criminal behavior in the child. Likewise, children in poverty or who have altered family dynamics are more likely to experience these disruption’s to their transitions. The time of transitions is very important to development the previous transition provide a

This paper will discuss caregivers who charged with caring for those who are unable to look after themselves. We will consider the sociocultural explanations, social learning, and intra-individual theories associated with this type of abuse. Since most abusers are caretakers who have been entrusted with the tending to of those who are unable to care for themselves, we will examine possible causes that lead them to their cruel behavior. We will also address how the maltreatment of helpless victims falls into two classifications, abuse and neglect, and they both can be physical and/or emotional in nature. These theories will be compared and contrasted as we investigate the

Criminology targets why individuals commit crimes and why they behave in certain situations. By understanding why a person commits a crime, you can develop ways to control crime or change the criminal to a certain extent. There are many theories in criminology. Some characterize crime to the individual. They believe that an individual weighs the pros and cons and makes a choice whether or not to act criminally. Others believe it is the community’s responsibility to make sure that citizens do not commit crime by offering them a safe place to live in, in society. Some argue that some individuals have specific traits that will determine how they will react when put in certain negative conditions. Overall, the determination of a criminal can be done through criminal profiling.

In the movie City of God, it differentiates the progression of individuals and their life choices based on their history and what path one ultimately decides to take. Many researchers have examined the importance of one’s life-course such as the work of John Laub and Robert Sampson, who hypothesize that those who engage in criminal behavior may have trajectories’ and turning points. Individuals that experience certain life events may help them to make the decision to engage in criminal activity, such as growing up in a very underprivileged environment, such as the City of God. Terrie Moffitt offers a dissimilar interpretation of the theory. Moffit posits that the basis of crime rests in environmental factors and separates offenders between those with temporary and those with persistent anti-social behavior. Temporary for this purpose is to mean, behavior that does not extend past adolescence. Moffit suggests that those who have temporary anti-social behavior only commit offences when they deem it advantageous thus; it seems likely that they should continue their delinquent

Rob Sampson and John Laub developed their age-graded, life-course theory of crime using some data studied by criminologists. In the 1940s, Sheldon and Eleanor Gluck conducted a longitudinal study of troubled boys in Boston and studied them through adolescence. Sampson and Laub found their data in the basement of the Harvard Library, reanalyzed it and identified turning points in a delinquent career. Sampson and Laub’s age-graded theory holds that the social sources of behavior change over the life course.They looked at the individual's childhood and their life into adulthood found out that some of the troubled boys stayed in trouble for the rest of their lives, while others had no legal problems.

Trying to understand why crime happens if a very important concept. Throughout history, criminologist have debated on which theory of crime is most accurate. Currently, social bond and social learning theory are two of the leading theories in the criminological world. Between these two theories there are a variety of differences and similarities. In addition to these theories Gottfredson and Hirschi have published a book where they use the concept of self control to describe crime. Analyzing these three theories can be important to understanding the current criminological world.

Another theoretical trend integrates traditional theories, such as anomie, disorganization, social control, labeling, differential association, and social learning theories, to increase explanatory power or link levels of explanation (Elliott, Ageton, and Canter 1979; Elliott, Huizinga, and Ageton 1985; Pearson and Weiner 1985; Thornberry 1987). Which leads us to two theorist that have been recognized by many involved in the criminal justice field. One being, Ross L. Matsueda's Theory of Differential Social Control, and the other, Charles R. Tittle's Control Balance Theory.

In the United States, juvenile delinquency is becoming a major problem in the communities across the country. Because of the actions that these juveniles engage in on a regular basis, taxpayers across the country are having to shell out hundreds upon thousands of dollars to rehabilitate these children in order to help them make better choices. This leads citizens to wonder what factors actually cause juveniles to live a life of crime rather than success. In short, there are three main factors that often cause children to live a life of crime. These three factors are social influences, psychological characteristics, and academic potential.

Terrie Moffitt’s Dual Pathway theory is based on a longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth group (Walsh & Hemmens, p. 344). The data for this study was collected by scientists of various professions, allowing for testing of both psychosocial and biosocial hypotheses. Moffitt divides offenders into two categories: Adolescence-limited (AL) offenders, who largely cease offending later in life, and Life-Course-Persistent (LCP) offenders, who demonstrate stable levels of criminal activity and are characterized by “neuropsychological and temperamental deficits that are manifested in low IQ, hyperactivity, inattentiveness, negative emotionality, and low impulse control” (Walsh & Hemmens, p. 344).

This book attempts to conduct research in order to extend the field of criminology, not any other matter. Sutherland was attempting to bring attention to an area of criminal behaviour that criminologists had not previously studied. At this time, theories of criminal behaviour placed a large emphasis on poverty being the cause of crime or on other social conditions and personal traits which

Figuring out why people commit crimes is one of the central concerns of criminology. Do most criminals act rationally after weighing the costs of crime? Is society ever to blame for an individual to commit a crime? Do mental diseases or even genetics factor into whether a person will live a life of crime. Over the years, many people have developed theories to try to answer these questions. In fact, the number of theories of why people commit crimes sometimes seems to equal the number of criminologists. I explore these questions and much more in the paper that follow.