Developmental Theories Life-course perspective Latent Trait perspective

Why do we need developmental theories? Can criminologists be satisfied with existing theories? Each of the theories tries to explain between individual differences

Why do we need developmental theories? What about within individual differences? Do you believe that people do not change?

Life course theory Life is a dynamic process. As people travel through the life course they are bombarded by changing perceptions and experiences and as a result their behavior will change directions (sometimes for better and sometimes for worse)

Developmental theories Common tendencies in development You can predict what a person went through Do not ask the “relatively simple” questions: Why do people commit crime? Or Why do some people desist from crime? They want to know how the criminal behavior changes over the life course What are the possible scenarios?

Age-graded Theory 8-9 years 15-24 years 45-55 years

Age and Crime Age is inversely related to criminality Younger people (regardless class, race, sex) commit crime more often than their older peers

Dynamics of criminal behavior (can you think of any theories that could explain these scenarios?) Deviant behavior Nondeviant behavior Nondeviant behavior Deviant Deviant behavior Nondeviant Deviant behavior Nondeviant

DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIES LATENT TRAIT THEORIES The General Theory of Crime: Gottfredson and Hirschi The Differential Coercion Theory: Colvin The Control Balance Theory: Tittle LIFE COURSE THEORIES Age-Graded Theory: Sampson and Laub Theory of Delinquent Development: Farrington Interactional Theory: Thornberry

LATENT TRAIT THEORY Master Trait: Personal attributes present at birth or established early in life, and it remains stable over time, i.e., personality, intelligence, and genetic traits Personal traits do not change Criminal opportunities change Maturity brings less opportunity Early social control and proper parenting can reduce criminal propensity

Mark Colvin-Differential coercion theory Control varies along two continua and dimensions: Non-coercive and consistent Non-coercive and erratic Coercive and consistent Coercive and erratic Likelihood of crime and deviance varies according to the amount of coercion experienced

Age-Graded Life-Course Theory Causal relationship between early delinquent offending and later adult deviant behavior is not solely a product of individual characteristics Social events may change some individuals while others continue to offend Informal social bonds to family and employment during adulthood explain changes in criminality

Age-Graded Life-Course Theory

Life-course model Social bonds created by strong attachment to a spouse, military, job stability and commitment, and employee-employer interdependence reduce crime The social ties embedded in adult transitions (i.e. marital attachment and job stability) explain variations in crime

Farrignton’s Developmental Theory Cambridge Study (longitudinal study of 411 London boys) Persistent offenders start at 8 years old (property crimes) Poor parental supervision, delinquent friends,, aggressiveness are the factors that predict the future offending

Farrignton’s desisters Shy personality Having few friends (at age 8) Having nondeviant families Being highly regarded by their mothers Social bond variables (similar to Sampson and Laub’s theory)

Interactional Theory Terence Thornberry (1987) Interactions are very important in shaping the behavior Attachment to parents, peers, social institutions change over time Further, delinquents not only are influenced by their social surroundings but also have an impact on others through their behavior

Thornberry’s Model Interactive or reciprocal The base for the model came from control theory and social learning theory “Fundamental cause of delinquency lies in the weakening of social constrains over the conduct of the individuals” Next step is association with delinquent peers This association foster delinquent values and delinquent behavior

Thornberry’s Model 1 3 Weak parental attachment Delinquent association Delinquent behavior 2 4 5 6 This model answers the contradiction between Social Learning theory and Control theory about what goes first: deviant behavior or association with delinquent peers.

Thornberry’s Model Interactional process creates a “behavioral trajectory” that “predicts increasing involvement in delinquency and crime” Initial weak bonds lead to high delinquency, the high delinquency further weakens the conventional bonds Combination of these effects make it difficult to reestablish bonds to conventional society at later age

Thornberry’s Model What about effect of employment, college, military, and marriage? These variables play an important role in determining whether delinquency will continue or desist

Patterson’s Social-Interactional Developmental Model (1989) Children and their environment are in constant interchange The start of antisocial behavior happens in dysfunctional families (harsh and inconsistent discipline, little positive parental involvement, poor monitoring) Family members directly “train” the child to perform antisocial behaviors

Patterson’s Social-Interactional Developmental Model (1989) In dysfunctional families, coercion is a way of life Child might see that only coercion can stop other family members from employing hitting Antisocial children manifest “conduct problems” outside the home (rejected by peers) Later they gravitate toward “deviant peer groups” This association reinforces delinquent behavior Later these children will have dysfunctional families and promote coercion

Tittle’s Control Balance Theory Control theorists focus on the factors that “restrain” the behavior of individuals Tittle made an innovation by arguing that people are not only objects of control but also agents of control Each person has a certain amount of control that she/she is under and a certain amount of control she/he exerts

Tittle’s Control Balance Theory Tittle sought to have a “General Theory” and thus to explain all forms of deviance For some, the relative amount of control is in balance (Control Balance ) Some suffer from deficit of control and others experience a control surplus (Control Imbalance) Control balance is associated with conformity and Control imbalance tends to be associated with deviance

Tittle’s Control Balance Theory Exploitation Submission Defiance Predation Balance Plunder Decadence Conformity Repression Autonomy

Tittle’s Control Balance Theory White-collar crimes vandalism Serious forms of crime Exploitation Submission Defiance Predation Balance Plunder Decadence Conformity Repression Autonomy

Tittle’s Control Balance Theory Predisposition to deviance is in each of us Human nature has a strong urge for autonomy (to escape the control that others wish to impose on us) Motivation appears when two conditions transpire: a person becomes aware of his/her control imbalance and realize that deviant behavior can change this imbalance and person must experience" negative emotion” of being humiliated or denigrated

Tittle’s Control Balance Theory Once motivation has emerged, deviant behavior still might not occur Opportunity must be present Constraints (fear of being caught, moral ambitions, social bonds) also must be overcome