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    29 views24 pages

    Moffitt Developmental Theories

    Uploaded by

    Eduardo Marcolino

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Developmental Theorie f Crime and Dlinguency “Anica Behavior Move Enduring than Changes” Jouraal “teademy of Cid and Adolescent Psychiatry 30: 285-9 ocd ont Le lon, 1990, "Towed «Developmental Crainoloy. I ef Jace, hin anne Review, ol, ele Me enry an N. Moss 3 hicag: Ui rt Te 1993. “Adolescence inited ond Life coue-peristent Jopmstal Tnonony” Paycholopcal Review 100; 6147 PIM, Benes T98H, Contequences of Adolescent Dg ‘stalia Ce, isis RRC. Gny Swicegod and R.A Rosenfeld 1987, “Disorder nthe Tie nese FE Common and Doce ater?” American Sociological Review 52 Acute sl Medicine ®: 6) ‘atom a inate, M.D, Krohn, M, Fervor, 24S. nd Denguent Bebavion A Loegitai -Thorbery and RM Figg 1987. From Boyt Man, From ime Cicego Univers of Chaz Pes. 1 Adolescence-Limited and Life-Course-Persistent Offending: A Complementary Pair of Developmental Theories Torrie E, Moffitt ‘There are marked individual differences in the sta behavior. Many people behave antisocally but their antisocial behavior js temporary and situational. By contrast, the antisocial behavior of some people is very stable end ‘behaviors quite common in the po female adolescents. Persistent, table. ‘avelatively small number of mostly males, The central tenet of this essay isthat temporary versus persistent antisocial persons constitute two qual tatively distinct types of persons. In particular, I suggest that juvenile {elingucncy conceals two qualitatively dstint categories of individuals, ‘each in need ofits own distinct theoretical explanation A Typology that Addresses the Shape ofthe Curve of Crime Over Age 1es of crime are plotted against age, the rates for both lence of offending appear highest during adolescence; bout age seventeen and drop precipitously in young. u nd Delinquency he advent of alternate measurement strategies —most :ports of deviant behavior—we have Jearned that arrest ‘and Cohen 1987; Farrington 1986). With slight variations, this general relation between age and crime obtains among males and females, for periods, and in numerous 35 (Hirechi and Gottredson 1983). parisons between early onset and has been artfectually defi -p decline in antisocial behavior between ages seventeen and thiny is mirrored by asteep incline ages seven and seventeen (Loeber, wn, and Farrington 1989; Wolfgang, Figlio, and Sellin 1972), Furth age-crime curve by adding dev hood ageression (Pepler and ers’ reports of cond: behavior emenge very early in the life course, and remain pres after. “Although there is widespread agreement about the curve oferime over are few convincing explanations for the shape of the curve. ‘The typology presented here addresses this issue by drawing attention to ‘wo trajectories concealed within the curve of crime over age. Timing. ‘and duration of the course of antisocial involvement are the defining. features of the two proposed types of offenders. [Adelescence-Limited and Life-Course- Persistent Offending 13 Evidence for a Life-Course-Persistent Type In this typology, a small groop of persons engages in antisocial behav ior of one sort or another at every stage of life: they make up the chi have labelled these persons life-course-persstent, 0 reflect the continuous course of their antisocial behavior, social behavior: Regardless of their age, fewer than 10 percent of males, ‘warrant an official antisocial designation. For example, about 5 percent boys are considefed by their parents or caretakers to be 19883; Wolfgang et al. 1972); such early best predictor of long-term recidi fora violent offense in young ad 'malesis between 3 percent and 6 percent (Moff, Mednick, and Gab ings, and Morse 1986). Finally, the prevalence of isoctal personality disorder is estimated at about 4 persons who constitute these epide- es at different ages are all diferet different antisocial categories at differ- iowa that there are virtually nocases lid not also have conduct ‘bins, and Silva (1990) ound notable continuity from disobedient and aggressive beha ‘age three to later childhood conduct disorder, and then to arrest by inthe early teen years. Locber (1982) reviewed research that pinpoints 2 ‘Adolescence Limited and Lif-Course-Peristent Offending 15 ‘ers, and prisons. The topography, of changing opportunities, but the di ‘throughout the Evidence for an Adolescence-Limited Type ry antisocial by thee different reporting, Five percent ofthe age. A dis- measured stability inthe New Zealand sample boys: when they were A A 16 Developmental Theovies of Crime and Delinguency Between ages cleven and fiNeen, about one third ddotinquent lifest ewcomers equalled their preschool-onset antisocial peers inthe variety of laws they had broken, the frequency with which they broke them, and by the proffered label, disc inguents Who have no notable and lite foture for such beha le continuity in ther antisocial behavior. Across age, change jn delinquent involvement soften abrupt, especially during the periods ‘of onset and desistence (Mot 1990a), Adolescenc may also have sporadic, crime-free fe-course-per lack consistency in their antisocial behavior across # they may shoplift in stozes and use drugs toobey the rules at school. Becau: fiends, but con- ‘chimeric nature of their Parent, and teacher) are lems when asked to com- Loeber and Schmaling 1985; Locber, Green, Lahey, and Stoutharer-Locber 1990) In the aforementioned test ofthis taxonomy by Nagin and Land (1993) 8 group of males whose history of criminal conviction resembles the ado- Jescence-limited pater was identified ariong the 411 members ofthe Lon don sample. The group, which contained 33 percent ofthis working-class Loo le, showed a distinctive patiern of the limba index of ind idual offending rate. Lambda began low at age ten, rose toa pak daring lolescence, ad then fell precipitously. By age twenty-two and there, after lab for this group was effectively er0, Although conviction data ‘do not provide te closest index to actual offending behavior, andalthough ‘Adolesence-Linited and Life Course- Persistent Offending 17 the snady generated a thtd group of offenders wth achronicelly low level ‘not anticipated by this taxonomy, the Nagin and Land frm the existence of distinctive individual trajecto- he population-level curve of crime over age. ‘An Bilological Theory for Life-Course-Persistent ‘Antisocial Behavior stable from preschool to ipelled to look for its roots in factors that are present before ot soon after birth, Tbe- the juxtaposition ofa vulnerable and difficult infant a transactional one in child evokes a chain of vandles 1975). This chain of entisocial behavior problems ible that the etiological chain be- cing individual differences in the ‘ncuropsychological functions of the infant nervous system (see Moftit, 13938, 1993b, or 1994, for a fuller explication of the theory of life, ‘course-persistent development), 186 of coping with a failed parentichild encounters Sameso Adolescence-Limited and Life-Couree-Persstent Offending 19 ie of Crime and De 18 Developmental Theories of Because iterenertionl ans Course Persie Behavior Begins i deena ifcultomanage te Benvean rtom Clive ond Prole bo = ramp, pnt nd cin resol nly (min wictions for violence (Hency, centto child, {oie of extreme antisocial behavior that persisted from age three to age fifteen. Apparently, their neuropsychological deficits were: as their antisocial behavior; at ages three and five these boy: ‘more than a standard deviation below the agenorm for boys on and McCarthy tests of motor coordination, and on the Sta inal studies suggest that neurops themselves as poor scores on test ind asthe inattentive, overactive and impuls Adolescence-Limited and Life-Course- Persistent Offending 21 toms of attention deficit disorder, are linked with emergence of aggressive antisocial behavior, an persistence, Why the Antisocial Youngsters’ Style Persist into Adulthood If the child who steps off on the wrong foot remains on his istered ph, subsequent stepping-stone expetiences may culminate nie course ersistenantsocal behavior Forlifecourse-perstent antisocial individ als deviant behavior patra Intern life may ths reflect ear inividual differences that are perpetuated or exacerbated by interactions with the socal envionment; fist at home, and Tater a school. Quay (1987: 121), summarizes: “This youth kel be at odds with everyone in thee ronment, and mast particulaly with those who must interact wth daily basis to raise, educate, or otherwise control him...his pattem isthe ‘mest troublesome to society seems least amenable to change, andhas the :mos pessimistic prognosis for adutadjustment.” But inauspicious begin. rings donot complete the story. Te theory must explain why ie course: persistent people continue ther antisocial stl into adulthood, Tansetions perconand envionment ca prodoce two kinds of consequences life course: contemporary consequences andcumulative con- rentally normative). Then, they traced personality style across the subseque Contemporery consequences were bbetyeen hot temper and oceupational stability. 22 Developmental Theories of Crime nnd Delinquency Adolescnce-Limited and Life- Course Persistent Offending 23 peredin adulthood, | « consider this sequence of narrowing options: Behavior ‘work and home ) school and failure to attain basic math and reading skills more unemployment ‘ ‘onthe variety of job skills that can be acquired, ‘cut off options to pursue legitimate q

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