Criminology Theories, and Story
Criminal theories
Project 2
Excelsior College
Families, Delinquency, and Crime CJ 428
Ashraf Esmail
5/16/2010
Project 2
The first theory to discuss is Population Heterogeneity, which was researched, by Daniel Nagin and Raymond Paternoster in 1991. The researchers believed that there were two theoretical explanations to explain antisocial behavior across the life course. The second theory, named State Dependent, which was also conducted in 1991 by Nagin and Paternoster. Their research continues to be studied by current criminologist to refine and develop new courses of actions in understanding deviant and criminal behaviors. Population Heterogeneity implies that past and future offending are related only as much as they are both related to an unmeasured criminal propensity that is stable over time within the individual. The theory also asserts that crime or violence is caused by an underlying propensity where one begins antisocial behaviors early in childhood and it continues throughout adulthood. It is this deviant trait, which is the connection between past and future deviant behavior. These theorists also contend that events external to the individual do little to influence criminal offending. The second theory is State Dependent theory, which argues that prior crime or violence can increase or decrease the likelihood of future crime. The state dependence component implies that committing a crime has a legitimate behavioral influence on the likelihood of committing future crimes. In other words, crime itself, whether directly or indirectly causally changes the future chance of one to engage in crime. Social bonds or lack of, to family, school, and peers all influence past and future deviant behavior. How one reacts to the justice system or incarceration could stigmatize those so marked and cause structural obstacles to establishing strong social ties to conventional lines of adult activity according to this theory.
Project 2
Excelsior College
Families, Delinquency, and Crime CJ 428
Ashraf Esmail
5/16/2010
Project 2
The first theory to discuss is Population Heterogeneity, which was researched, by Daniel Nagin and Raymond Paternoster in 1991. The researchers believed that there were two theoretical explanations to explain antisocial behavior across the life course. The second theory, named State Dependent, which was also conducted in 1991 by Nagin and Paternoster. Their research continues to be studied by current criminologist to refine and develop new courses of actions in understanding deviant and criminal behaviors. Population Heterogeneity implies that past and future offending are related only as much as they are both related to an unmeasured criminal propensity that is stable over time within the individual. The theory also asserts that crime or violence is caused by an underlying propensity where one begins antisocial behaviors early in childhood and it continues throughout adulthood. It is this deviant trait, which is the connection between past and future deviant behavior. These theorists also contend that events external to the individual do little to influence criminal offending. The second theory is State Dependent theory, which argues that prior crime or violence can increase or decrease the likelihood of future crime. The state dependence component implies that committing a crime has a legitimate behavioral influence on the likelihood of committing future crimes. In other words, crime itself, whether directly or indirectly causally changes the future chance of one to engage in crime. Social bonds or lack of, to family, school, and peers all influence past and future deviant behavior. How one reacts to the justice system or incarceration could stigmatize those so marked and cause structural obstacles to establishing strong social ties to conventional lines of adult activity according to this theory.
References: Gottfredson, M., & Hirschi, T. (1983). Age and the explanation of crime. The American Journal of Sociology, 89, 552-584. Sampson, R. J., & Laub, J. H. (1990). Crime and deviance over the life course: The salience of adult social bonds. American Sociological Review, 55, 609-627. Sampson, R. J., Laub, J. H., Wimer, C. (2006). Does marriage reduce crime? A counterfactual approach to within-individual causal effects. Criminology, 44, 465–508. Simons, R. L., Stewart, E., Gordon, L. C., Conger, R. D., & Elder Jr., G. H. (2002). A test of lifecourse explanations for stability and change in antisocial behavior from adolescence to young adulthood. Criminology, 40, 401-434. Warr, Mark (1998)Life-course transitions and desistance from crime. Criminology 36:183-216.