Life Course Theory

There are many theories that have been developed to try to explain why criminal behavior takes place. The age old debate as to the true source of criminal tendencies leads to two separate thoughts; nature versus nurture. Are we born criminals or does our environment influence our propensity to conduct criminal acts? Two such theories are the life-course theory and the evolutionary neuroandrogenic (ENA) theory.The Life-course theory establishes the connection between a pattern of life events and the actions of an individual’s behavior (Nurture perspective). In the criminology field, the life-course theory is used as a springboard for an assortment of other theories that are less broad and more specific. The Life course theory is a theory that basically said that our behavior is determined by the events in our lives hints the life course perspective, refers to a multifaceted approach for the study of people's lives, structural contexts, and social change. This approach encompasses ideas and
The basic premise of ENA’s is biological in nature and that a person can be born with criminal tendencies (Nature perspective). Evolutionary neuroandrogenic theory envisions criminality as being a low form of status-striving promoted by high brain exposure to androgens and it implies that these two points are actually correlated. According to ENA theory, traits such as pain tolerance and muscularity will be positively associated with risk-taking and criminality. Some studies have correlations between pain tolerances, muscularity, with offending be largely the result. Additionally, ENA theory assumes that females are not as criminally inclined as males as, but this bias is genetically influenced and has led to the understanding that a large amount of cognitive and behavioral tendencies in males differ significantly from those of females (Ellis, Beaver & Wright,