Understanding Criminal Careers

Description

The study of criminal careers is of increasing interest in criminology. It is now generally recognised that it is important to try to understand criminal behaviour across the life-course rather than focusing on fragmented incidents which provide only a partial picture. This is an accessible text which clarifies the crucial theoretical and methodological debates surrounding the study of criminal careers. It focuses on some major longitudinal studies discussing the onset, persistence, desistance and the duration of a criminal career. The important topics of prediction, risk and specialisation ar.  Read more... Abstract: The study of criminal careers is of increasing interest in criminology. It is now generally recognised that it is important to try to understand criminal behaviour across the life-course rather than focusing on fragmented incidents which provide only a partial picture. This is an accessible text which clarifies the crucial theoretical and methodological debates surrounding the study of criminal careers. It focuses on some major longitudinal studies discussing the onset, persistence, desistance and the duration of a criminal career. The important topics of prediction, risk and specialisation ar Content: Cover Understanding Criminal Careers Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of figures, boxes and tables Acknowledgements Preface 1 Introduction What is 'criminal careers' all about? Definitional issues Who are the criminals? Why bother studying criminal careers? Conclusions 2 The Great Debate: competing theoretical approaches and methodological issues Competing theoretical explanations The criminal careers approach The criminal propensity approach The age-crime curve The Gottfredson and Hirschi critiques A General Theory of Crime Evaluating propensity theory. Developmental criminology and the life-course approachEvaluating developmental criminology Moffitt's developmental taxonomy Policy implications Conclusions 3 The Great Solution? Exploring the major longitudinal studies Longitudinal designs The pros and cons of longitudinal research The Gluecks' study The Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development The Dunedin Health and Development Study Three landmark longitudinal studies Policy implications Conclusions 4 When does it all start? Onset of a criminal career The Home Office Crime and Justice Survey 2003 Age of onset by offence type. Shoplifting as the initial offence of choiceRelational factors influencing onset Personal factors influencing onset Monetary factors influencing onset Practical factors influencing onset Advantages and disadvantages of starting offending Young people in care Onset in residential care Prosecution of minor offences by looked-after children Three studies -- three lessons? Onset of crime in adulthood Lessons from the three 'classic' longitudinal studies Policy implications Conclusions 5 Continuity and change in a criminal career: persistence and desistance What is persistence? Gender differences among persistent offendersDefining desistance How do we measure desistance? Condemnation scripts and persistent offenders Redemption scripts and desisting offenders Why do some people desist? Why do some people persist? When 'going straight' is 'curved' Benefits and costs of desisting Policy implications Conclusions 6 Specialisation The concept of specialisation Specialisation and typologies of crime Specialisation and theories of crime Measuring specialisation The evidence for and against specialisation Current debates in specialisation. Developmental or lifestyle specialisationConcurrent specialists and generalists Specialisation and policy issues Conclusions 7 Dangerousness, prediction and risk Risk and prediction Using criminal careers to assess risk of general reoffending Actuarial and clinical risk Serious repeat offending and risk False positives and false negatives The dangerous offender and dangerous behaviour Predicting recidivism for dangerous offenders Risk of first offending Risk factors for first dangerous offending Policy issues and ethics in relation to risk prevention Moving forward? Policy implications.