Forensic Pathways Flashcards
Which longitudinal studies show that most juvenile crime is ‘adolescence limited’? (1)
Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development
What did The Cambridge Study (e.g. Farrington, 2002) do and find? (3)
Studied 411 boys (8/9 yrs of age, in 1961), and still ongoing:
- approx. 20% convicted under 18
- approx. 40% convicted by 40 years of age.
What are the predictive factors? (6)
Antisocial behaviour – trouble at school, dishonesty, aggression
Hyperactivity – impulsivity, attention deficit, poor concentration, restlessness, taking risks
Low intelligence and poor school attainment
Family criminality – parents/siblings
Family poverty – low income, poor housing, large family size
Harsh parenting style – lack of supervision, parental conflict, separation from parents
What are the three offender groups described by Moffit (1993)? (3)
Adolescence-limited
Life-Course Persistent
Abstainers - never become involved in offending behaviour
What is adolescence-limited? (4)
Offend between puberty and adult status
Maturity gap and peer social context
Delinquency serves to demonstrate autonomy and affiliation
What is life-course persistent? (3)
Begin antisocial activity earlier, more active in their criminal behaviour, diverse in offending, unlikely to desist, more likely to be lone offenders
Life-course Persistent make up 5-8% of the adult population
Factors affecting adolescence-limited (4)
Group-oriented activities, relatively minor, status-oriented
Healthy personalities, average or good reading skills
Return to non-delinquent behaviour, unless delayed by snares (e.g. drugs, truncated education, unwanted pregnancy).
Factors affecting life-course persistent (4)
Peer influences not necessary
Assumed to rely on subtle innate neuropsychological differences
Environment contributes too (e.g. poor relations with teachers and peers)
Infiltrates all aspects of life, so reduces chance of reform
What did Kaye, Darke & Finlay-Jones (1998) do in context of excessive drug users and what topology did they describe? (1)
Studied 400 methadone users in community and prison
Primary and secondary anti-socials
What did Kaye, Darke & Finlay-Jones (1998) find about primary and Secondary Anti-socials? (3)
When drug use preceded criminal activity, individuals labelled secondary anti-socials
When drug use followed criminal behaviour: primary anti-socials
Primaries were younger, more likely to be male, committed more violent crime, twice as likely to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder
Describe the nature features (6)
Impulsivity
Neurological abnormalities and delayed motor development at 3 yrs
Low IQ and reading ability
Poor scores on neuropsychological tests of memory
Hyperactivity
Slow heart rate
Describe the nurture features (7)
Teen-aged single parents
Mothers with poor mental health
Harsh or neglectful parents
Harsh or inconsistent discipline
Many changes in primary carer
Poverty and low SES
Rejection by peers
Assumptions in society about crimes (4)
People generally worry about violent and sexual crime
People assume that criminal behaviour starts early
People assume greater criminality in men than women
People assume class and education distinctions
