desistance

Question 1

age-crime

Answer 1

age crime curve
there are certain ages where you move away from crime
Peak at age teen-25ish and then when people hit 30, they stop committing crime-on average.
“As people get older their tendency to engage in most types of violent crimes rapidly declines” McKnight, 1995

Question 2

Desistance

Answer 2

the action of desisting from criminal behaviour

Question 3

why do people desist from crime

Answer 3

maturity
changes in values/priorities
motivation to stop

Question 4

what are the 5 reasons proposed by Farrington 2002 to why people start offending?

Answer 4

energising
directing 
inhibiting 
decision-making
consequences

Question 5

why start offending

energising

Answer 5

long term desires for material goods, status and excitement but short term desires are boredom and anger.

Question 6

why start offending

directing

Answer 6

socially disapproved methods of satisfying desires are chosen e.g. stealing a car

Question 7

why start offending

inhibiting

Answer 7

antisocial tendencies can be inhibited by beliefs and attitudes towards it i.e if been previously punished for it, or parents show an inbuilt tendency that it is wrong.

Question 8

why start offending

decision-making

Answer 8

whether a person commits an antisocial act depends on opportunities, costs and benefits.

Question 9

why start offending

consequences

Answer 9

consequences can be reinforcing or punishing.
labelling the offender can make it difficult for them to achieve their goals legally and hence can increase antisocial behaviour

Question 10

what characteristics do people have that make them more likely to offend?

Answer 10

13x more likely to have been in care
10x more likely to have been a truant
2.5x more likely to have a convict family member
more likely to be illiterate
more likely to suffer with substance abuse

Question 11

why is stopping hard?

3 criteria found

Answer 11

criminogenic traits
ciminogenic background
criminogenic environments

Question 12

why is stopping hard?

criminogenic traits

Answer 12

consistent personality traits among all offenders e.g. rebelliousness

Question 13

why is stopping hard?

criminogenic background

Answer 13

grew up on areas considered dangerous
single parents/care-homes
poverty/left school early
abuse/drugs

Question 14

why is stopping hard?

criminogenic environments

Answer 14

lack of employment

lack of school

Question 15

two types of desistance

Answer 15

primary

secondary

Question 16

what is primary desistance

Answer 16

a termination event, a period of stopping from offending

if someone breaks their leg they cannot reoffend

Question 17

what is secondary desistance

Answer 17

change in identity in some way.

Sustained pattern of desisting because of this change in identity

Question 18

what are the 4 theoretical perspectives of desistance

Answer 18

ontogenetic theories
sociogenic theories
narrative/identity theories
integrated theories

Question 19

theoretical perspectives of desistance

ontogenetic theories

Answer 19

“growing out of it”

“age is the only factor which emerges as significant “

Question 20

theoretical perspectives of desistance
ontogenetic theories
2 disadvantages

Answer 20

correlation does not mean causation

age doesn’t necessarily mean no crime.

Question 21

theoretical perspectives of desistance

sociogenic theories

Answer 21

“social aspects are good”
Irwin 1970, “a good job, a good relationship, pro-social hobbies”
Link with age- as you age, different social aspects become important

Question 22

theoretical perspectives of desistance

Narrative theories

Answer 22

“self identity”
look at life histories and how you make sense of your lives
However, offenders often see their lives as being written for them and they are condemned to live their life that way (condemnation script) they offend due to structural reasons “i didn’t have a choice”

Question 23

theoretical perspectives of desistance

narrative theories

Answer 23

instead of having a condemnation script, treatment tries to encourage a ‘redemption’ script’ they find goodness of themselves and take ownership. They break out of the cycle and become who they were ‘always meant to be’

Question 24

what is generativity

Answer 24

giving something back

generating a legacy that is more positive than what the offender did e.g. children

Question 25

what is a wounded healer

Answer 25

a previous offender that helps others
create more helpers and creates more of a reintegration process
drawing on other’s experiences

Question 26

theoretical perspectives of desistance

integrated theories

Answer 26

“social, structural and individual”

grouping of all perspectives would make desistance

Question 27

theoretical perspectives of desistance
integrated theories
cognitive transformation

Answer 27

openness to change
turning point
replacement self
view deviant behaviour in bad light

Question 28

key points of desistance

Answer 28

desistance is a process-not event 
about changing identities 
provoked by life events 
can be helped by someone 
condemnation to redemption
social and human capital

Question 29

what is assisted desistance

Answer 29

others can help but no one can rehabilitate you.
there is a distaste toward conventional treatments and rehab approaches
institutions should recognise this reform and design programmes to enhance desistance

Question 30

de-labelling

Answer 30

destroy labels through a certification process

no de-labelling process