WDW101Y1 Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Notes
23 Oct 2012
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Document Summary
Most young offenders are young males who desist from crime as they mature. The bulk of adult offending is committed by relatively few persistent offenders. Illegal act is a matter of individual decision making, rational choice made after weighing the potential benefits and consequences of crime. People choose crime simply because they find it rewarding, satisfying, easy or fun. The central premise is the criminals are rational, their behavior can be controlled or deterred by the fear of punishment. Desistence: growing and intense fear of punishment. Choice theory: the view that delinquent behavior is a rational choice made by a motivated offender who perceives the changes of gain as out weighing any perceived punishment or loss. Classical criminology: the theory that people have free will, choose to commit crime for reason of freed or need, and can be controlled only by the fear of criminal sanctions.
