SOC 106 Part 5: Developmental Views of Delinquency

I. Developmental theory - of crime and delinquency - onset / continuity / termination - experience / characteristics - life course theory / latent trait theories A. Life course view - relationships / behaviors - follow into adolescence / beyond (1) Conform to social rules - parents / society expect

(a) Transition from one stage of life to another - child / teenager / young adult (b) A developmental process - positive vs. negative experiences - interactional: influence of others (c) People mature - influence factors - also undergo change - most critical factors (d) Glueck research - social / psychological / biological factors

(2) Life course concepts - key concepts (a) Age of onset - antisocial behavior - early age - more at risk = delinquency (b) Adolescent-limited vs. life course persisters - limited: early in life = phase out - persisters: remain high-rate offenders - pseudo-maturity: sexual / drug use - persisters = individual traits

(3) Problem Behavior Syndrome (PBS) - face many social problems - family dysfunction / drugs / smoking / etc. - personal / social / environmental characteristics (4) Multiple pathways (a) Authority conflict pathway - early age = stubborn behavior - defiance / avoidance (b) Covert pathway - minor crime behavior (stealing / lying) - escalates to more aggressive (burglary)

(c) Overt pathway - minor aggressive behavior (bullying) - escalates to violence (rape / robbery) (4) Continuity of crime / delinquency - best predictor of future criminality - past criminality B. Life course theories - onset / continuance / desistance (1) Age-graded theory - established turning points - career / marriage / religion / etc.

(2) Social capital - positive relations - individuals / institutions - inhibits deviant behavior (a) Delinquency can be reversed - life conditions improve (b) Financial status - helps to reduce (c) Military - questions do arise - drug use = crime

2. Latent trait view - personal attribute / characteristic - controls inclination / propensity - to commit crime A. Traits - defective intelligence / impulsive personality - delinquency prone (1) Inclination / propensity = stable - opportunity to commit = fluctuates - younger = lower IQ B. General theory of crime

- concept of control (1) Act and the offender - separate concepts (a) Delinquent acts - illegal events - perceive advantageous to commit (b) Delinquency - rational / predictable - minimal threat of pain (c) Predisposed to commit crime - remains stable

(2) What makes delinquency prone? (a) Low level of self-control (b) Impulsive (c) Insensitive to others feelings (d) “Here and now” attidtude