Articles Flashcards
Of the article of Elder et al. The emergence and development of life course theory:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Need for Longitudinal Approach: Sociologists should utilize life histories and future trajectories, emphasizing a longitudinal approach to studying life history.
2. Evolution of Life Course Study: Tracing the emergence and development of life course study, discussing theoretical models (e.g., life cycle, career), and fundamental life course concepts (age-based trajectories, transitions).
3. Paradigmatic Principles: Defining five principles that define primary analytic and conceptual themes in life course studies:
- Life-span development
- Agency in constructing one’s life course
- Influence of historical times and places
- Timing of life transitions and their consequences
- Interdependence of lives and socio-historical influences
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Life Course Theory: Focuses on the interconnectedness of social pathways, developmental trajectories, and social change.
* Social Pathways: Trajectories of education, work, family, and residences shaped by historical forces and social institutions.
* Trajectories and Transitions: Sequences of roles and experiences, including changes in state or role (transitions).
* Turning Points: Substantial changes in the direction of one’s life, subjective or objective.
* Time: Operates at sociohistorical and personal levels, linking age with historical time, cohort effects, and period effects.
* Age as Social Construction: Differentiates the life course through age expectations, social timetables, and generalized age grades.
What did they test? What are the main results?
They analyzed:
* Historical trends in life course study emergence and development.
* The impact of social change on demographic shifts and research methodologies.
* Theoretical models and concepts’ applicability in understanding life trajectories.
Results:
* Identification of key trends leading to the study of life courses.
* Recognition of the importance of historical and social context in shaping life trajectories.
* Development of paradigmatic principles defining life course studies.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: Reinforcement of the need for integrating historical context into life course models.
* Practice: Encouragement for longitudinal studies, considering the interplay of individual choices with historical and social circumstances.
Of the article of Hirschi & Gottfredson Age and the explain of crime:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. The age distribution of crime is argued to be relatively invariant across various social and cultural conditions.
2. Theories of crime not explicitly focusing on age shouldn’t be judged by their ability or inability to explain age-related effects.
3. Current variables in criminology don’t sufficiently account for the age effect on crime.
4. The impact of age on crime is posited as direct and should be acknowledged in explanations.
5. Conceptualizations of the age effect, particularly in the context of “career criminals,” might be misleading.
6. Longitudinal studies might not be essential for comprehending the causes of crime.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Age’s Role in Criminal Behavior: Highlighting age as a critical factor influencing criminal activity across diverse social conditions.
* Strain and Control Theories: Strain theory suggests that societal pressures lead to criminal behavior, which may vary concerning age-related experiences. Control theory proposes that stronger social bonds reduce criminal tendencies as individuals age and integrate more into society.
* Career Criminality and Age of Onset: Examining the idea of career criminals and the age at which criminal behavior starts, challenging assumptions about the duration and nature of criminal careers.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* The authors examine various studies and data to support the assertion of the age-crime relation being relatively invariant across sex and race.
* Self-report data challenges distinctions between personal and property crimes, suggesting they peak and decline similarly with age.
* Theories attempting to explain age effects through social positions of youth or other variables do not fully elucidate the observed patterns.
* Age seems to have a direct effect on crime, yet the mechanism behind this direct effect remains elusive in current criminological research.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: Calls for a reevaluation of existing theories that may overlook or inadequately consider the influence of age on criminal behavior.
* Practice: Suggests a need for a more nuanced understanding of age-related factors in criminal justice approaches and interventions. Also, challenges the necessity of purely longitudinal studies for understanding criminal behavior across the life cycle.
Of the article of Steffenmeier et al. Age and the distribution of crime:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. The traditional sociological perspective posits that crime peaks in adolescence or early adulthood and then declines with age. However, this study argues that while the decline in criminality is consistent, the specific parameters of the age-crime distributions vary across time and crime categories.
2. The authors emphasize the influence of social processes on the age-crime relationship and suggest that considering sociological variables simultaneously in an additive model better explains this relationship.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Age-crime distribution: Focuses on the relationship between age and criminal behavior, suggesting variations in the peak ages and rates of decline for different types of crimes.
* Social processes: Highlighted as crucial in understanding the age-crime relationship, suggesting that societal factors influence criminal behavior.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* Tested the hypothesis that there is a single constant pattern in the age-crime distribution across time and crime categories.
* Found that different types of crimes exhibit distinct age distributions: some peak in adolescence and decline rapidly, while others peak later or plateau in adulthood.
* Showed that burglary aligns with an early peak and rapid decline, while other property crimes have later peaks and slower declines or plateaus.
* Identified clusters of offenses with different age distributions, indicating age-related differences in motivation and opportunity for various crimes.
* Documented a considerable shift toward younger ages of offending and sharper age distributions in 1980 compared to earlier periods (1960 and 1940).
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: Challenges the invariance hypothesis, suggesting considerable heterogeneity in age distributions of crime, undermining the idea of a universal age-crime pattern.
* Practice: Suggests the need for a nuanced understanding of age-related crime patterns for law enforcement and policymaking. Acknowledging distinct age distributions across different crimes could help tailor interventions and resource allocation more effectively.
Of the article of Moffitt Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A dual taxonomy:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Dual Taxonomy: Argues for two distinct categories of individuals displaying antisocial behavior:
- Life-Course-Persistent: Individuals consistently exhibit antisocial behavior from childhood to adulthood.
- Adolescence-Limited: Individuals display antisocial behavior specifically during adolescence, with a temporary increase in prevalence during this time.
2. Continuity and Change: Discusses the continuity of antisocial behavior over age alongside dramatic changes in its prevalence.
3. Etiology: Emphasizes the importance of understanding the differing causes for persistent and temporary antisocial behavior.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Life-Course-Persistent vs. Adolescence-Limited: The primary theoretical framework, distinguishing between individuals displaying continuous antisocial behavior and those whose behavior is limited to adolescence.
* Heterotypic Continuity: Refers to the continuity of an underlying trait (antisocial behavior) manifesting differently across various developmental stages and situations.
* Neuropsychological Vulnerabilities: Examines the impact of neuropsychological deficits on the development of antisocial behavior.
* Person-Environment Interactions: Explores how interactions between individual traits and environmental responses contribute to the continuity of antisocial behavior.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* Classification: Tested and classified individuals into life-course-persistent and adolescence-limited types based on patterns of antisocial behavior.
* Etiological Hypotheses: Explored the roots of antisocial behavior, implicating neuropsychological vulnerabilities and environmental interactions.
* Desistance: Explored why adolescence-limited delinquents desist from crime, linking it to shifting reinforcement contingencies.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: Provides a more nuanced understanding of antisocial behavior by distinguishing between two distinct developmental trajectories.
* Practice: Suggests different intervention strategies based on the type of antisocial behavior exhibited, emphasizing early intervention for persistent cases and understanding temporary delinquency as a normative phase.
Of the article of Laub & Sampson Turning points in the life course: Why change matters to the study of crime:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Laub and Sampson challenge the notion of childhood stability as the sole predictor of adult criminal behavior. They argue for the significance of social capital and turning points in understanding change in the adult life course.
2. They distinguish between self-selection and cumulative continuity regarding the continuity of deviant behavior, emphasizing the importance of social ties and life events in adulthood in altering life trajectories.
3. The authors critique the self-selection thesis, suggesting that correlations among adult behavior should disappear once controls are introduced for prior individual-level differences in criminal propensity or low self-control.
4. They integrate the concept of state dependence with cumulative continuity, indicating how delinquency can incrementally impact future life chances.
5. Laub and Sampson stress the role of social investments and social ties in creating systems of obligation and restraint, inhibiting criminal behavior over time.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Social Capital: Refers to the value of social networks, relationships, and interactions in providing resources and support to individuals.
* Turning Points: Significant life events or transitions that can alter the course of one’s life, potentially redirecting behaviors and trajectories.
* Age-Graded Informal Social Control: The influence of social bonds and connections in regulating behavior across different life stages.
* Cumulative Continuity: The idea that behaviors or experiences can accumulate over time, impacting future outcomes and trajectories.
* State Dependence: The concept that past behaviors or experiences (such as delinquency) can influence and shape future opportunities and outcomes.
* Primary and Secondary Deviance: Primary deviance refers to initial acts of rule-breaking, while secondary deviance involves the societal reactions and consequences that amplify deviant behavior.
* Interdependency: The mutual reliance among individuals within social networks, creating systems of obligation and restraint that affect behavior.
* Life Course as Probabilistic Linkage: Viewing life events and trajectories as interconnected and probabilistic, where events are interlinked in shaping future outcomes.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* They analyzed the Glueck data to challenge the stability of antisocial behavior and examined the role of social ties and life events in altering trajectories.
* Their qualitative analysis suggested that major turning points for men refraining from crime were employment and good marriages.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* The implications are profound for understanding crime in the life course, emphasizing the need to move beyond stability in antisocial behavior and acknowledging the significance of social ties and life events in altering trajectories.
* The theory proposes a reevaluation of methodologies, suggesting that correlations among adult behavior should dissipate once prior individual-level differences are controlled.
* In practice, their insights highlight the importance of nurturing strong social ties and creating systems of obligation and restraint to inhibit criminal behavior, emphasizing the role of social investments throughout the life course.
Of the article of Wilcox & Gialopsos Crime-event criminology: An overview:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Traditional criminology vs. Crime-event criminology: The primary argument is the shift from an individual-focused approach in traditional criminology, which seeks to explain why individuals offend, to crime-event criminology, which focuses on understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of crime events.
2. Crime as an event: Crime-event criminology posits that criminal behavior is not just about the offender but also heavily relies on the opportunity presented by the situation.
3. Opportunity reduction: Strategies to reduce crime opportunities involve increasing the likelihood of intervention by enhancing surveillance and altering environmental factors.
4. Multi-level analysis: Recognizing that crime events are non-randomly distributed across multiple levels of analysis, including individuals, places, and neighborhoods.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Crime-event criminology: Focuses on the spatial and temporal aspects of crimes, emphasizing that opportunity plays a crucial role in criminal events.
* Routine activities theory: Links changes in routine activities (like spending more time in public spaces) to increased opportunities for crime.
* Opportunity-reduction strategies: Interventions aiming to alter environmental factors and increase the likelihood of intervention to prevent crime.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* The authors tested the effectiveness of opportunity-reduction strategies in reducing crime by altering environmental factors.
* Results suggested that altering environmental factors, such as enhancing surveillance or fostering informal surveillance, could decrease crime opportunities.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: Crime-event criminology challenges traditional individual-focused theories, emphasizing the significance of situational factors in crime occurrence.
* Practice: Opportunity-reduction strategies, although critiqued, offer practical implications for crime prevention. They provide neutral and non-punitive ways to reduce crime that can protect victims as much as they deter offenders. The focus on practical solutions aligns with the shift towards public criminology.
Of the article of Ruiter Crime location choice: State of the art and avenues for future research:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Geographical and environmental criminologists focus on understanding the choices that influence crime’s spatial and temporal patterns. They argue that studying crime patterns by time and day is as crucial as analyzing spatial variations.
2. The chapter emphasizes the need for more research into temporal aspects of target choice and uneven spatial patterns in crime from an offender decision-making perspective.
3. Different theoretical frameworks, such as Routine Activity Theory (RAT), Rational Choice Perspective (RCP), and Crime Pattern Theory (CPT), offer explanations for offender behavior in terms of decision-making and target selection.
4. The discrete choice framework (DCF) is proposed as a method to explicitly analyze crime location choices from a decision-making perspective, considering various factors influencing these choices.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Routine Activity Theory (RAT) suggests crimes happen when motivated offenders encounter suitable targets without capable guardians.
* Rational Choice Perspective (RCP) proposes that offenders make decisions based on weighing costs, benefits, and opportunities.
* Crime Pattern Theory (CPT) combines aspects of behavioral geography, RCP, and RAT, suggesting offenders search for suitable targets within their awareness spaces.
* Discrete Choice Framework (DCF) focuses on decision-making elements like decision makers, alternatives, attributes, and decision rules, predicting offenders choose locations with maximum utility.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* Studies analyzed crime location choices using different approaches: offender-based, target-based, and mobility-based before the introduction of the discrete choice framework.
* Studies within the discrete choice framework have shown that burglars prefer areas closer to home, residential areas with specific characteristics, and are influenced by barriers and connectors.
* There’s evidence that offenders prefer areas within their awareness space, locations close to past residences, workplaces, schools, and leisure areas.
* Offenders tend to return to previously targeted areas, especially if the time between offenses is short.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theoretical implications: Highlighting the need to consider temporal aspects alongside spatial aspects in understanding crime patterns. Recognizing the limitations of existing theories like RAT and RCP in explaining goal-oriented behavior.
* Practical implications: Better understanding of crime location choices can aid in designing effective crime prevention strategies, considering factors like geographical barriers, social connections, and awareness spaces. It can also assist in predicting potential areas for crime and allocating resources for law enforcement.
Of the article of Besemer et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the intergenerational transmission of criminal behavior:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Intergenerational Transmission of Criminal Behavior: The main argument is that there’s a significant association between parental criminal behavior and the likelihood of children engaging in similar behavior. The article underscores the higher risk faced by children of convicted parents to engage in criminal and antisocial behavior compared to children of non-convicted parents.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Social Learning Theory: Parents influence their children’s behavior through actions, teaching criminal behavior inadvertently, and children might imitate their parents’ delinquent actions.
* Criminogenic Environment: CB is not directly transmitted but occurs through a cluster of risk factors like poverty, unsafe neighborhoods, and deficient parenting practices.
* Criminal Justice System Influence: Biases within the system contribute to the likelihood of criminal behavior in offspring, perpetuating intergenerational transmission.
* Labeling Theory: Interventions by the criminal justice system may amplify offending behavior in individuals, especially those with convicted parents.
* Genetically Mediated Pathways: Biological factors like high testosterone levels and lower resting heart rates could influence CB.
* Assortative Mating: Antisocial individuals tend to form relationships with similar individuals, potentially perpetuating antisocial behavior across generations.
What did they test? What are the main results?
The study tested the associations between parental criminal behavior and children’s subsequent criminal or antisocial behavior. Results indicated:
* Stronger intergenerational transmission from mothers to daughters, followed by mothers to sons, fathers to daughters, and weakest from fathers to sons.
* Greater transmission in the US compared to countries like Sweden and Denmark despite a punitive crime policy in the US.
* Stronger impact on late-adolescent or young adult crime compared to offspring CB measured later in life.
* Studies where parental crime preceded offspring behavior showed stronger intergenerational transmission.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: The findings support various theories of intergenerational transmission, emphasizing the role of social learning, environmental factors, biases in the criminal justice system, genetic pathways, and assortative mating.
* Practice: Understanding these associations can aid in developing interventions that target at-risk children, addressing biases within the criminal justice system, and implementing social programs to mitigate risk factors contributing to intergenerational transmission of criminal behavior.
Of the article of Pardini et al. Familial influences on the development of serious conduct problems and delinquency:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Critical Arguments: Family structure, caregiver characteristics, and parenting practices significantly impact the development of antisocial behavior in youth. Factors such as early motherhood, family size, single-parent households, low socioeconomic status, familial criminality, parental mental health, substance abuse, inter-parental conflict, and specific parenting practices all contribute to the likelihood of delinquent behavior in children and adolescents.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Developmental Criminology Approach: This perspective examines how familial and parenting factors interact and influence the onset, progression, and persistence of antisocial behavior in youth.
* Theoretical Models:
- Patterson’s Coercion Theory:
Focus: This theory emphasizes the significance of parenting in the development of serious conduct problems.
Key Points: It highlights coercive parent-child interactions, where both parent and child contribute to escalating aversive behaviors. Children with defiant temperaments might provoke harsh parenting, leading to a cycle of negative interactions that reinforce antisocial patterns.
- Moffitt’s Developmental Taxonomy Model:
Focus: It differentiates between childhood-onset and adolescent-onset delinquency.
Key Points: Childhood-onset delinquency is associated with neurological deficits and harsh parenting impeding social skill development. Adolescent-onset delinquency is linked to poor parental monitoring, association with delinquent peers, and reinforcement of deviant behaviors, often persisting into adulthood.
- Social Control and Social Developmental Models (e.g., Laub & Sampson):
Focus: These models emphasize learning through family, school, and community interactions.
Key Points: Stress within the family is highlighted as a factor shaping both prosocial and antisocial behavior. Prosocial family activities, positive parental reinforcement, and clear conduct rules are seen as creating a social bond inhibiting deviant behavior in youth.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* Tested Factors: The studies examine various familial factors and parenting practices (e.g., early motherhood, family size, single-parent households, socioeconomic status, parental criminality, mental health, substance abuse, inter-parental conflict, specific parenting behaviors).
* Main Results: The findings highlight associations between these familial factors and delinquent behavior in youth. For instance, early motherhood, large family size, single-parent households, low socioeconomic status, familial criminality, harsh/rejecting parenting, inconsistent discipline, and poor monitoring are linked to increased likelihood of delinquency.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory Implications: The findings support existing theoretical models in developmental criminology, emphasizing the critical role of family dynamics and parenting in shaping antisocial behavior. They call for further exploration and refinement of these theories to account for complexities like reciprocal parent-child influences, genetic-environment correlations, and developmental timing.
* Practice Implications: The implications for intervention and prevention programs are substantial. Highlighted areas include parent management training, interventions targeting specific parenting practices, and tailoring treatments for children with conduct problems and callous-emotional traits. The importance of warmth, positive reinforcement, effective discipline, and parental monitoring are emphasized in these programs.
Of the article of Freelin et al. Changing context: A quasi-experiment examining adolescent delinquency and the transition to high school:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. School transitions significantly influence adolescent delinquency, either decreasing or increasing it.
2. Transitioning between schools can affect social bonds, exposure to delinquent peers, and unstructured socializing, impacting delinquent behavior.
3. The study examines the effects of school transitions on delinquency through the lens of criminological theories like social control, differential association, and routine activities.
4. The timing and duration of transitions matter, affecting delinquency levels before and after the transition.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Life-course criminology: Focuses on normative transitions in life that can shape an individual’s behavior. Age-graded transitions and their impact on behavior are highlighted.
* Criminological theories: Social control theory (Hirschi), Differential association theory (Sutherland), Routine activities theory (Cohen & Felson) are applied to explain how transitions influence delinquency.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* They tested whether transitioning schools between 8th and 9th grade affects delinquency.
* Results show that students who change schools during this transition exhibit decreased delinquent behavior compared to those who remain in the same school. The decrease is mediated by factors like peer delinquency and unstructured socializing.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: These findings support the idea that transitions during adolescence significantly impact behavior. They suggest that transitioning schools can be a pivotal point for positive change if managed well.
* Practice: Highlighting the significance of school transitions, the study implies that interventions around these periods could focus on reinforcing positive social connections, reducing exposure to delinquent peers, and encouraging structured, prosocial activities.
Of the article of Engel How little does it take to trigger a peer effect?:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Peer influence significantly affects the decision to commit a crime across various contexts (property crime, violent offending, substance abuse, etc.).
2. Gottfredson & Hirschi argue that the delinquent peer group might be an artifact of measurement errors and the natural inclination of people to associate with similar others.
3. The study aims to examine the influence of peer behavior on rule violation by presenting participants with social information about others’ rule-breaking behavior.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Differential association theory: Suggests that peers can create an alternative moral culture where the acceptance of violating laws outweighs adherence to them.
* Social learning theory: Individuals learn behaviors, including tolerance for risk of punishment, from observing and interacting with peers.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* Experiment setup: Participants earn money by choosing actions within certain constraints, similar to committing a crime (defined as choosing socially harmful activity levels).
* Results: The likelihood and intensity of rule violation increased when participants knew that more members of their group violated the rule. Even without direct social interaction, mere knowledge of peers’ rule violations significantly influenced individual behavior. Also, severity of the rule influenced the likelihood and intensity of rule violation.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: Reinforces the influence of peer behavior on individual decision-making even in the absence of direct interaction or traditional forms of peer pressure.
* Practice: Highlights the importance of social information in influencing criminal behavior and the perception of the cost-benefit analysis of committing a crime. This has implications for deterrence strategies and suggests that interventions involving altering social information could potentially impact criminal behavior.
Of the article of Rodermond Out of prison, out of crime? The complex interplay between the process of desistance and severe resource disadvantages in women’s post-release lives:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Desistance Process: It argues that desistance from criminal behavior involves subjective changes, personal transformations, and social factors, rather than just external control mechanisms.
2. Complex Interplay: There’s a contention that commonly perceived factors like marriage, motherhood, and employment have nuanced and sometimes unexpected effects on desistance. For instance, marriage alone doesn’t significantly contribute to desistance, and employment’s impact is influenced by various underlying factors.
3. Resource Disadvantages: Severe resource disadvantages post-release, such as unstable housing, financial struggles, and difficulties in accessing employment, significantly hinder successful reintegration and desistance.
4. Subjective Changes: Personal transformations related to identity and envisioning a non-offender self are critical to the desistance process.
5. Challenges: The challenges women face after release, such as homelessness, unstable relationships, and drug addiction, are substantial barriers to desistance.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Desistance: The process of individuals refraining from criminal behavior.
* Social Capital: The value derived from social networks and relationships, which can influence desistance.
* Identity Transformation: The idea that a shift in self-identity from an offender to a non-offender is crucial for desistance.
* Cognitive Transformations: Changes in thinking patterns and perspectives that lead to desistance.
* Life Events: Events like motherhood, employment, and relationships are seen as potential triggers for desistance.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* The study examined how subjective changes and social factors influence desistance among women after release from prison.
* Results indicated that marriage alone did not significantly contribute to desistance, and employment’s effect was influenced by underlying factors.
* Housing stability was crucial, as homelessness increased the risk of reoffending.
* Desistance was influenced by subjective changes related to identity, envisioning a non-offender self, and recovery from drug use.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: It challenges traditional views on desistance, highlighting the complexity of the process influenced by subjective changes and environmental factors.
* Practice: It emphasizes the need for comprehensive support systems addressing housing, employment, and recovery from drug use for successful reintegration. Policies need to consider individual circumstances and the interconnected nature of factors influencing desistance.
Of the article of Copp et al. Desistance from crime during the transition to adulthood: The influence of parents, peers, and shifts in identity:
1. What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
2. What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
3. What did they test? What are the main results?
4. What are the implications for theory? Practice?
What are their main arguments? (Critical?)
1. Complex Nature of Desistance: The exclusive emphasis on marriage and employment fails to capture the full spectrum of adult life or the nuances of desistance processes.
2. Influence of Individual Factors: While some prior research highlighted external forces like marriage and employment, recent attention has shifted toward individual-level factors such as identity changes.
3. Role of Parents and Peers: The study emphasizes the neglected role of parents and peers in understanding adult desistance from crime.
4. Identity Changes and Desistance: The research underscores the importance of identity shifts in transitioning away from criminal behavior.
What are the main (theoretical) concepts?
* Desistance from Crime: The process of moving away from criminal behavior during the transition to adulthood.
* External and Individual Factors: The interplay between societal influences (like marriage, employment) and individual-level changes (identity shifts) in determining desistance.
* Parental and Peer Influence: The impact of family and peer dynamics on criminal behavior.
* Identity Changes: Shifting from negative (e.g., troublemaker) to positive self-identities and its association with criminal behavior.
What did they test? What are the main results?
* Parental Influence: Strong links exist between parental support/closeness and decreased involvement with delinquent peers, resulting in declines in self-reported crime.
* Peer Influence: Association between peer delinquency and individual criminal behavior is established, showcasing the enduring impact of peer networks.
* Identity Changes: Transitioning from negative to positive self-identities corresponds with declines in criminal behavior over time.
What are the implications for theory? Practice?
* Theory: Highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding of desistance that includes individual, relational, and identity-related factors.
* Practice: Emphasizes the importance of familial support, positive peer relationships, and identity transformations in interventions aimed at reducing criminal behavior among young adults.
