Describe and critique Moffitt
Describe and critique Moffitt’s (1993) developmental taxonomy.
Moffitt (1993) proposed the developmental taxonomy theory of offending behaviour as an attempt to explain the developmental processes that lead to the shape of the age crime curve. Moffitt proposed that there are two primary types of antisocial offenders in society. First the Adolescent Limited Offender who exhibits antisocial behaviour only during adolescence, and secondly, the Life-Course-Persistent offender, who behave in an antisocial manner from early childhood into adulthood. Moffitt 's theory can be applied to both females and males. This essay describes Moffitt 's theory on developmental taxonomy and thereafter criticise Moffitt 's theory by identifying and evaluating the theory with reference to existent literature upon it. The final part of the essay offers a reference conclusion as to whether Moffitt 's developmental taxonomy theory is useful in attempting to explain the developmental processes that lead to the identifiable shape of the age crime curve.
Moffitt (1993) argued that offending is marked by either continuity or change as the age-group curve is unreliable (Eker and Mus, 2011). This is because the leap in offending during the teenage years conceals two qualitatively distinct categories of individuals (Caspi and Moffitt, 1995). Moffitt named the two distinct groups as life-course persistent offender (LCPs) and the adolescence limited offender (ALOs). Life-course persistent offenders are, according to Moffitt 's model is a small group consisting of 5 and 10 percent of the male population whilst the corresponding rate amongst the female population is lower at 1 and 2 percent. The life-course persistent offenders ' group manifest antisocial behaviour from early in their childhood and continue their offending misconduct into adolescence and through into adulthood. As Moffitt notes that antisocial behaviour at any one stage of development is a reflection of
Moffitt (1993) proposed the developmental taxonomy theory of offending behaviour as an attempt to explain the developmental processes that lead to the shape of the age crime curve. Moffitt proposed that there are two primary types of antisocial offenders in society. First the Adolescent Limited Offender who exhibits antisocial behaviour only during adolescence, and secondly, the Life-Course-Persistent offender, who behave in an antisocial manner from early childhood into adulthood. Moffitt 's theory can be applied to both females and males. This essay describes Moffitt 's theory on developmental taxonomy and thereafter criticise Moffitt 's theory by identifying and evaluating the theory with reference to existent literature upon it. The final part of the essay offers a reference conclusion as to whether Moffitt 's developmental taxonomy theory is useful in attempting to explain the developmental processes that lead to the identifiable shape of the age crime curve.
Moffitt (1993) argued that offending is marked by either continuity or change as the age-group curve is unreliable (Eker and Mus, 2011). This is because the leap in offending during the teenage years conceals two qualitatively distinct categories of individuals (Caspi and Moffitt, 1995). Moffitt named the two distinct groups as life-course persistent offender (LCPs) and the adolescence limited offender (ALOs). Life-course persistent offenders are, according to Moffitt 's model is a small group consisting of 5 and 10 percent of the male population whilst the corresponding rate amongst the female population is lower at 1 and 2 percent. The life-course persistent offenders ' group manifest antisocial behaviour from early in their childhood and continue their offending misconduct into adolescence and through into adulthood. As Moffitt notes that antisocial behaviour at any one stage of development is a reflection of
References: Barnes, J, & Beaver. K. M. (2010). Examining the genetic underpinning to Moffitt 's developmental taxonomy: A behavioural genetic analysis. San Francisco. D. Cicchetti and D. Cohen. (1995) (Eds.) Manual of developmental psychology: The continuity of maladaptive behaviour: From description to understanding in the study of antisocial behaviour. New York: John Wiley, pp.472-511. Davies, G., & Beech, A. (2012). Forensic psychology: Crime, justice, law, interventions (2nd Ed) Chichester: Wiley. Eker, A. Mus, E. (2011). An analysis of life course theories: Turkish journal of police studies. vol: 13 (3) Howitt, D. (2011). Introduction to forensic and criminal psychology 4th Ed. Harlow:Pearson Education Ltd. Chapter 5 Moffitt, T. E. (1993). Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behaviour: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100, 674-701. doi: .10.1037/0033-295X.100.4.64 Towl, G.J., & Crighton, D.A. (2010). Forensic psychology. London: Wiley-Blackwell. Skardhamar, T(2009). Reconsidering the theory on adolescent-limited and life-course persistent anti-social behaviour. British journal of criminology. Oxford. 49(6):863-878.doi:10.1093/bjc/azp048