Dlc Theories On The Relationship Between Age And Crime

2.0. Developmental and life-courses theories of offending
Given that this paper is concerned about young people and the patterns pertaining to the onset and desistance of offending it is immediately apparent that age and crime are key variables. Seeing that the age-crime relationship is the genesis for DLC theories it is for this reason that such theories are considered to bear much relevance to the present study. This approach is further validated by research evidence indicating that the relationship between age and crime are one of the most robust findings in the field of criminology (Farrington, 1986; Hirsch and Gottfredson, 1983; Thornberry, 1997). Indeed, upon the empirical establishment of the age-crime relationship as a reality, academics
In accordance to Farrington (2003) DLC theories concentrate on three principle issues: the development of antisocial behaviour and offending; the role of risk factors at different ages; and the impact of life events on trajectories of development. In general DLC acknowledges that offending behaviour is age-graded or development in nature; certain risk factors are more significant than others at different life stages for different types of offenders; and life events can alter trajectories of antisocial behaviour and foster change (Farrington, 2003). Thus, DLC facilitates researchers with the opportunity to identify when young people begin offending, how long they offend for, detect changes in the frequency of offending; and finally, when or if offenders eventually desist from criminal behaviour (Casey, 2011). Young people whose development follows similar pathways can then be investigated to discern what risk factors mediate or moderate the offending
Prior offending is one of the most effective predictors of future offending and yet most delinquents do not become serious adult offenders (Cohen and Vila, 1996). This consistent finding has been categorised as the “paradox of persistence” since there is evidence of both stability and widespread change in offending behaviour over time (Cohen and Vila, 1996). The latter paradox demonstrates a point of divergence for existing DCL theories relative to the existence of continuity and/or change in antisocial behaviour over time. Thus, on the one hand, some theorists argue that there is only continuity of antisocial behaviour because the behaviours are the product of a stable underlying propensity (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990). While, on the other hand, others contend that there is considerable stability in offending but change is likely and is fundamental for understanding offending behaviour over the life-course (Sampson and Laab, 1993). Yet still, there are those who argue that both continuity and change exist and there are distinct groups whose trajectories can be exemplified by either continuity or change (Moffitt, 1993). Therefore, the most important theoretical