Contemporary Theories.docx

Contemporary Theories 1) Age and Crime  Social factors which lead a teen into crime peak period: 17-22 (19 years of age) declining slightly below that lack of strong social bonds to various types of conventional adult situations (work, career, family) presented strong potential rewards for offending (money, status, power, autonomy, respect from peers) very dependent, so don’t have the same legal and social cost as adults (CYJA)  Factors which lead a person out of crime: “aging out” of crime conventional bonds to society become stronger informal social controls and containments: goals, education, moving out, getting married, work force integrations in societies formal sanctions: legalities, wanting to have a job in the future physical ability to actually commit crime physical strength mental ability after age 30 people very few people commit crime religion becomes more important positive relationships: hobbies, friendships, relationships jeopardization of criminal activities: loss of jobs, loss of friends, loss of friendships  Other factors contributing to crime exit burnout from criminal activity: loss of nerve, fear of being found out prison sentence  Why do people say in a life of crime subcultures have life expectancy: exit is sometimes only through death of jail opportunity of cost (not making same kind of money alternatively) often get conventional job (9-5) and still be criminal on the weekends hard to maintain: rejecting a lot of conventional ideas 2) An example of aging in crime: Thornberry’s Interactional Theory of crime  Part of the “life course” theory or crime social disorganization, control theory and the learning parts of crime  Integrated models using control and social learning theory controlled the degradation of attachments during adolescences (parents, school, lack of beliefs in conventional activities) more likely if individual lives in places where deviant values occur form belief systems compatible with their deviant behavior  Studies of changes for adolescents  Importance of the social bonds to teens delinquents seek out deviant peer groups and this group support deviant learning methods becomes a hard cycle of youth to continue over the time replacement of old bonds with new bonds  Criminality tied to development age gradient (people will age out of crime) teenagers have different ways of thinking something kids grow out of by adulthood choices are shaped by place in conventional society, new forms of gold during adulthood related to things that happen during the life (peer relationships, weakening of bonds) 3)Integrated theories of crime  Falsification problem level of falsification used to judge theory very consistent, can’t be discarded different theories will have different degrees of falsification  Why integration combine the best elements of theories that actually work psychology, sociology ect to make a hybrid theory  Common elements to mode