Chapter 13-Explaining crime over the life course Flashcards
How do static and developmental theories differ in their explanation of crime over the life course?
Dual taxonomy-developmental approach. There are two differently shaped criminal shaped careers. Pathways differ in both individuals and across age. External influences are seen as important.
The two groups: 5% Life Course Persistent offenders, Adolescence limited offenders.
Propensity (anlag) theorists-static approach. An individual’s criminal career only differ in the level of criminal behaviour. The behaviour is intrinsically linked and depending on the propensity. Does not include social contexts.
What is meant by the maturity gap? How does the maturity gap explain the onset of delinquency (crime committed by young people)?
The discrepancy between biological and social age.
Explain the dual taxonomy
A theoretical framework that proposes a complementary set of developmental theories explaining to major criminal trajectories underlying the age-crime curve.
What explains desistance from offending? How can interventions facilitate the desistance process?
Status offences (alcohol consumption, running away from home) decrease with obtaining the legal age. The maturity gap becomes less tense with age. Social age-norms. Social control resulting from adopting adult social roles that leads the individual to avoid crimes.
Which processes are argued to lead to adolescence-limited offspring?
The childhood, and especially the transition from childhood and adulthood depends a lot on the nurture.
Role models are also important because teenagers tend to mimic their role model.
Which processes are argued to lead to continuity in criminal behaviour?
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What are the arguments and counterarguments for selectively imprisoning chronic offenders?
Pro: ?
Cons: Labelling theory. Closing future opportunities for young offenders.
What are adolescence-limited offenders?
Offenders on the developmental pathway, characterized by a late onset (but not necessarily low frequency) and short duration of criminal behaviour.
What is the age-crime curve?
The (skewed) bell-shaped curve that results when participation in crime is plotted across age.
What is the cumulative disadvantage?
A dynamic process whereby juvenile delinquency fosters adult crime by closing odd conventional opportunities. (Steal from a shop, get charged–not be able to get a high quality employment in the future)
What is the labelling theory?
A theory explaining criminal behaviour as a result of the stigma created by the societal reaction to a previous crime.
What are life-course persistent offenders (LCP offenders)?
Offenders on the developmental pathway, characterised by an early onset, a high frequency between biological and social age.
What is secondary deviance?
Criminal behaviour that results from blocked opportunities and changes in identity by being labelled as a ‘criminal’. (This is the outcome of cumulative disadvantage)
What is desistance?
The process of winding down the frequency of offending, eventually leading to termination.
Social Control Theory (from slide)-Connected to the individual
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