Lecture 6 Offending Flashcards
What is the definition of a crime?
‘an action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law’.
Who is a criminal?
‘someone who commits a crime’ e.g. a dangerous or violent criminal’
What is an offence?
an act harmful not only to some
individual but also to a community,
society, or the state’
What is offending?
Term is often discusses in relation to
the reasons that offending occurs and behaviours associated with offending.
Who is an offender?
Term is often used to discuss people
who have committed more than one
crime and/or people who have already entered the criminal justice system.
What are the main propositions and the definition of the Rational Choice Theory (RTC)?
Rational choice theory states that individuals use rational calculations to make rational choices and achieve outcomes that are aligned with their own personal objectives. These results are also associated with an individual’s best, self-interests.
Main Propositions
1. Crimes are purposive acts that benefit the offender/s.
2. Offenders consider risks and uncertainty involved in
committing crime.
3. Decision-making varies according to nature of the
crime.
4. ‘Involvement’ / ‘Event’ decision-making.
5. Involvement decisions - initiation, habituation and
desistance.
6. Event decisions - sequence of criminal act.
What are the main propositions of the Routine Activity Theory (RAT)?
Main Propositions 1. Theorises reasons for increased crime rates and recidivism (reoffending). 2. Views crime as an ‘event’. 3. Crimes require three elements to occur: • Suitable target • Absence of capable guardian • Motivated offender 4. VIVA (Value, Inertia, Visibility, Access)
What is the Problem Analysis Triangle (PAT)
(AKA: Crime Triangle)?
Main Propositions 1. Thorough analysis 2. Problem-solving 3. Main three elements to occur: • Suitable target • Absence of capable guardian • Motivated offender 4. SARA 5. Adapted by Eck to include: handler, place manager and guardian. (College of Policing, 2019) (Jones, Newburn& Reiner, 2017, pp. 781-2)
What are the key facts about the Age-Crime Curve & Criminal Careers?
Key Facts: • Founders/Commentators: Adolphe Quetelet (1831), Susan McVie (2002). • Focus: Aged-based patterns & changes, assumes crimes are most prevalent between mid to late adolescence. • Related Theories / Models: Desistence, Developmental & Life-Course Criminology • Controlling Factors: Desistance factors (Shapland & Bottoms, 2017, pp. 744-749)
What are the key facts of Desistance?
Key Facts • Founders/Commentators: Shadd Maruna, Stephen Farrall, Fergus McNeill, Stephen Moffatt • Related Theories / Models: Developmental & Life-Course Criminology, Offender Management, Rehabilitation, Reducing Reoffending • Controlling Factors: maturing and getting older, family and relationships, sobriety employment, improved self-esteem (Maruna, 2010)
‘the process of moving from offending to successful social
integration (and with it compliance with law and social norms)’
(Kirkwood & McNeill, 2015)
Give an overview of Developmental &
Life-Course Criminology (DLC)?
Developmental Criminology: Psychological Factors, Risk and Protective Factors Life Course Criminology: Sociological Factors e.g. Social Structures, Life Events, Turning Points
Common Areas of Exploration 1. Early-onset 2. Frequency (lambda) 3. Intensity 4. Persistence & duration 5. Desistance 6. Factors that influence criminal careers / habitual offending.
Commentators/Theories: • Sampson & Laub (Age Graded Informal Social Control) • David Farmington (Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential) • Terrie Moffitt (Dual Taxonomy) • McAra& McVie (Negotiated Order)
Explain Desistance in simple terms?
Desistance is the word for how people with a previous pattern of offending come to abstain from crime. Desistance is a journey. It’s influenced by someone’s circumstances, the way they think, and what is important to them. Each individual’s experience is different. It doesn’t usually happen overnight. It’s an ongoing process and will probably involve some false stops and starts.
Explain Developmental and Life course criminology in simple terms?
Developmental and life-course criminology are both concerned with the study of changes in offending and problem behaviors over time. Although these two theoretical approaches share some common features, they also differ in the concepts that they deem to be of focal concern. The life-course perspective gives increased importance to social structure, whereas the developmental approach generally tends to focus more on psychological factors to explain developmental processes. In many instances, these two approaches have been employed in the context of similar studies but with slightly different focuses. Many of the issues addressed in criminal career research are also relevant to developmental and life-course criminology.
