Theories of Crime Causation

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Moffitt’s Theories of Crime Causation

The relationship between crime and age is among the most well-established assertions in criminology. Moffitt proposes that in the society, there exist two main types of antisocial offenders: the adolescence-limited offenders and the life-course-persistent offenders (Moffitt 479). The similarity between these two groups of offenders is that most adolescents in the contemporary world engage in acts of juvenile delinquency. In both, Moffitt suggests that maturity gap dictates one’s decision to commit crime and that the reward and cost of antisocial behavior is punishment. ORDER NOW

According to Moffitt, antisocial behavior by the “life-course-persistent” offenders begins at the early age where an individual develops to a life-long offender (Moffitt 500). On the other hand, she proposes that the larger “adolescence-limited” group commit antisocial acts during their teenage, and in most times they reform on becoming adults with families and employment (Moffitt 501). In her arguments over antisocial behavior, this shapes our discourse understanding over social crime construction.

I believe that there are two types of life-course offenders as discussed above. In the antisocial behavior theory, the only question is why most delinquents desist whereas just a few turn to be violent career crime perpetrators (Moffitt 510). There are policy implications that suit each type of offenders. The life-course persistent offenders require psychiatric treatment, psychiatric nosology, rehabilitation interventions, and punishment through imprisonment if they do not transform and become responsible citizens (Joana 1). For example, a theft with violence criminal should be imprisoned for some years as he or she undergoes rehabilitation programs.

In the case of “adolescence-limited” offenders, policy interventions such as rehabilitative counseling, in-depth investigation, psychiatric nosology, crime punishment among other implications should be used to help them reform (Moffitt 506). For example, a child practicing theft behavior should undergo rehabilitation counseling for reformation. In conclusion, crime is an act of being irresponsible and thus should be counteracted through all means. ORDER NOW

Work Cited

Joana, Ferreira. “Life-Course Criminology: Comparing the Dual Taxonomy and Age-Graded Theories of Criminal Behavior.” Inquiries Journal 8.6 (2016): 1.

Moffitt, T E. “Low self‐control, social bonds, and crime: Social causation, social selection, or both?” Criminology 37.3 (1999): 479-514.

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