Testing Two Theories of Criminal Careers: A Criminal Career Profile Approach

<p>Criminal career research has emerged as a field interested in determining the factors related to the onset, frequency, duration, maintenance, and desistance of criminal behaviour (Blumstein & Cohen, 1987; Blumstein, Cohen, & Farrington, 1988). Various theories have been developed to account for these components of the criminal career, and the present research aims to examine the desistance components of two such theories in a sample of high risk adult offenders. Looking first at Moffitt’s (1993) adolescencelimited/ life-course persistent perspective, and then at Laub and Sampson’s (1993; Sampson & Laub, 2005) theory of informal social controls, there is limited evidence that either frequency of conviction or criminal career seriousness in high risk adult offenders can be explained well by reference to either of these theories alone. Although components of each theory appear to have some support within this sample, it is important to note that the prediction of future seriousness appears to be particularly difficult. Implications of these findings are discussed, with particular reference to policy concerns and areas for additional research.</p>

Testing Two Theories of Criminal Careers: A Criminal Career Profile Approach

<p>Criminal career research has emerged as a field interested in determining the factors related to the onset, frequency, duration, maintenance, and desistance of criminal behaviour (Blumstein & Cohen, 1987; Blumstein, Cohen, & Farrington, 1988). Various theories have been developed to account for these components of the criminal career, and the present research aims to examine the desistance components of two such theories in a sample of high risk adult offenders. Looking first at Moffitt’s (1993) adolescencelimited/ life-course persistent perspective, and then at Laub and Sampson’s (1993; Sampson & Laub, 2005) theory of informal social controls, there is limited evidence that either frequency of conviction or criminal career seriousness in high risk adult offenders can be explained well by reference to either of these theories alone. Although components of each theory appear to have some support within this sample, it is important to note that the prediction of future seriousness appears to be particularly difficult. Implications of these findings are discussed, with particular reference to policy concerns and areas for additional research.</p>

Child Sexual Abuse in South Africa: A Criminological Case Study Analysis Exploring a Life-Course-Persistent Pathway for Serial Rape and Murder

Child sexual abuse and the criminogenesis thereof are notably not perpetrated in isolation from physical and emotional abuse – although empirical evidence suggests that the most profound impact thereof revolves around a desire to escape (as a coping mechanism) into a world of deviant sexual fantasy, rape and murder. The article explores a phenomenological case study analysis of a serial rapist and murderer from birth to early adulthood, prior to incarceration – and it depicts an existence driven by fatal sadistic sexual desires, hate and lethal intent. The researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with the participant comprising of three one-hour interviews, with the aid of a semi-structured interview schedule. The study highlighted the need for a proactive response in rendering psychosocial services to the abused child.

Association of subcortical gray-matter volumes with life-course-persistent antisocial behavior in a population-representative longitudinal birth cohort

Neuropsychological evidence supports the developmental taxonomy theory of antisocial behavior, suggesting that abnormal brain development distinguishes life-course-persistent from adolescence-limited antisocial behavior. Recent neuroimaging work confirmed that prospectively-measured life-course-persistent antisocial behavior is associated with differences in cortical brain structure. Whether this extends to subcortical brain structures remains uninvestigated. This study compared subcortical gray-matter volumes between 672 members of the Dunedin Study previously defined as exhibiting life-course-persistent, adolescence-limited or low-level antisocial behavior based on repeated assessments at ages 7–26 years. Gray-matter volumes of 10 subcortical structures were compared across groups. The life-course-persistent group had lower volumes of amygdala, brain stem, cerebellum, hippocampus, pallidum, thalamus, and ventral diencephalon compared to the low-antisocial group. Differences between life-course-persistent and adolescence-limited individuals were comparable in effect size to differences between life-course-persistent and low-antisocial individuals, but were not statistically significant due to less statistical power. Gray-matter volumes in adolescence-limited individuals were near the norm in this population-representative cohort and similar to volumes in low-antisocial individuals. Although this study could not establish causal links between brain volume and antisocial behavior, it constitutes new biological evidence that all people with antisocial behavior are not the same, supporting a need for greater developmental and diagnostic precision in clinical, forensic, and policy-based interventions.

Incorrigibility and the Juvenile Homicide Offender: An Ecologically Valid Integrative Review

The United States Supreme Court decision in Miller v. Alabama highlighted the importance of an individual’s “incorrigibility” and the prospect of “irreparable corruption” when weighing possible life sentencing for juveniles convicted of homicide. In this review, we study research in multiple content areas spanning homicide recidivism, life-course-persistent or career criminality, and psychopathology and incorrigibility that bears relevance to the risk assessment of juvenile homicide offenders. A well-developed corpus of research and scholarship in these domains documents the severe, lifelong behavioral impairments of the most violent delinquents. In contrast to studies of non-offender student samples and behaviors that bear no ecological validity to juvenile homicide, the research covered herein emanates from epidemiological surveys, birth cohort studies, large-scale prospective longitudinal studies, and correctional studies including homicide offenders and appropriate control groups of other serious delinquents. A rich research foundation in the social, behavioral, and forensic science informs relevant, reliable, and valid forensic assessments of future criminal deviance and incorrigibility in juvenile homicide offenders.

Association of subcortical grey-matter volumes with life-course-persistent antisocial behavior in a population-representative longitudinal birth cohort

Objective:Neuropsychological evidence supports the Developmental Taxonomy Theory of Antisocial Behavior, suggesting that abnormal brain development distinguishes life-course-persistent antisocial behavior from adolescence-limited antisocial behavior. Recent neuroimaging work confirmed that prospectively-measured life-course-persistent antisocial behavior is associated with differences in cortical brain structure. Whether this extends to subcortical brain structures remains uninvestigated. Methods:This study compared subcortical grey-matter volumes between individuals characterized by life-course-persistent, adolescence-limited or low-level antisocial behavior. Participants were members of the Dunedin Study, a population-based birth cohort of 1037 individuals born in New Zealand between 1972-1973 and followed to age 45. 672 Study members previously defined as exhibiting life-course-persistent, adolescence-limited, or low-level antisocial behavior based on repeated assessments from ages 7-26 were included. Grey-matter volumes of 10 subcortical structures were compared across groups. Results:The life-course-persistent group (N=80;59% male) had lower volume of amygdala, brain stem, cerebellum, hippocampus, pallidum, thalamus, and ventral diencephalon compared to the low-antisocial group (N=441;47% male). Differences between the life-course-persistent and the adolescence-limited group (N=151;54% male) were comparable in effect-size to differences between the life-course persistent and low-antisocial group, but were not statistically significant due to less statistical power. Grey-matter volumes in the adolescence-limited group were near the norm in this population-representative cohort and similar to volumes in the low-antisocial group. Conclusions:Although this study cannot establish causal links between brain volume and antisocial behavior, it constitutes new biological evidence that all people with antisocial behavior are not the same, supporting a need for greater developmental and diagnostic precision in clinical, forensic, and policy-based interventions.

Pathways to Crime and Emerging Adulthood: Differences between Prison Inmates and Normative Young Adults in Israel

The current study evaluates differences between inmates and normative young male adults based on the Pathways to Crime model. Research findings support the model’s assumptions, showing that inmate characteristics are consistent with the Life-Course Persistent (LCP) pathway, while the characteristics of the non-inmates are mostly consistent with the abstainers’ pathway. This investigation makes a theoretical contribution, demonstrating the model’s suitability for distinguishing between crime pathways among emerging adults. Also, emphasis is placed on emerging adulthood as an intermediate period on the path to adulthood, which can affect the evolution of crime pathways among at-risk populations.

Forensic Developmental Concepts

Chapter 2 identifies and describes developmental and clinical psychological concepts that may be useful in forensic Miller evaluations when addressing Miller’s standards for immaturity. Concepts related to the decisional immaturity factor include two models of psychosocial immaturity and the “maturity gap” concept. The dependency immaturity factor is examined through the lens of trauma concepts and individual differences in dependency. The offense context factor offers conceptual ways of thinking about the impact of immaturity on the offense drawn from reasoning in other types of forensic evaluations. The prospects for rehabilitation factor is examined with concepts related to amenability to rehabilitation and the appropriateness of interventions. Concepts relevant for Miller’s “irreparable corruption” include life-course-persistent and adolescence-limited offending patterns, psychopathy, sophistication and maturity, and the Risk-Needs-Responsivity model. A model is provided for the forensic process of analyzing irreparable corruption. Finally, several concepts from general developmental psychology are reviewed for their relevance to Miller cases.

Sociodemographic Characteristics, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Substance Use and Psychiatric Disorders Among Adolescent-Limited, Adult-Onset, Life-Course-Persistent Offenders and Nonoffenders in a General Population Survey

This study compared sociodemographic characteristics, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and substance use and psychiatric disorders between adolescent-limited (AL), adult-onset (AO), life-course-persistent (LP) and nonoffender (NO) groups using a large U.S. general population survey. The odds of experiencing several ACEs were greater among each offender group relative to NOs. LP offenders experience more ACEs than AL and AO offenders. Each offender group generally experienced greater substance use and psychopathology than NOs, whereas LP offenders experienced more substance use and psychopathology than AO and AL offenders. The results of this study identified several sociodemographic factors, ACEs, and types of psychopathology that differentiate AL, AO, LP, and NO offenders that can help inform prevention and intervention strategies designed to prevent offending and shorten criminal careers.