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Theories that attempt to explain the natural history of a criminal career, its onset, the course it follows, its termination
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Developmental theories
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To spontaneously stop committing crime after a certain age
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Desist
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Rolf Loeber and Marc Le Blanc
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Proposed that criminologists should spend time and effort understanding why some people stop, specialist vs. generalist criminal, etc.
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Criminality is a dynamic process, inlunced by many characterisitcs, traits and experiences, and that behavior changes accordingly for better or worse over life course
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Life-course theory
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Theories reflecting the view that criminal behavior is controlled by a master trait, present at birth, and that remains stable and unchanging
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Latent trait theories
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Criminality is best understand as one of many social problems faced by at-risk youth
social = family dysfunction, unemployment, educational underachievment personal = substance abuse, suicide, sexuality environmental = high crime area, racism, poverty Linked to drug abuse, personality problems and premature death |
Problem behavior syndrome (PBS)
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Rolf Loeber Pathway to Crime #1
Authority conflict pathway |
Begins with early stubborn behavior and defiance to parents
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Loeber #2
Covert pathway |
Minor, underhanded behavior (lying, shopliftings) --> Leads to property damage (fires) --> serious crimes (pocket picking, larceny, etc.)
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Loeber #3
Overt pathway Each pathway may lead to a sustained deviance career, some people enter 2 at once |
Escalates to aggressive ages (bullying) --> physical and gang fighting --> violence (forced theft)
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Specialist
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Theft, assault, rape
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Generalist
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Drug abuge, burgulary, rape
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Typical teenagers who get into minor scrapes, rebellious behavior with friends
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Adolesecent limited offenders
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Begin offending career at very early age, continue to offend well into adulthood
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Life-course persistors
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Persisters who stay out of trouble as kids, become violent chronic persisters after late teenage years
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Late bloomers
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Models of criminal causation that weave social and individual variables into complex, explanatory chain
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Integrated theories
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