Module 2 Writing Assignment (MLO 2.3)
Instructions
This assignment addresses COs 1, 3, and 4 and MLO 2.3.
One Criminological theory that is not discussed in the textbook that you will be exposed to if you decide to pursue a career in Criminal Justice is Developmental Life Course Theory. This theory tries to explain causation as a developmental process that starts before birth and progresses throughout life characterized by both individual factors and social factors interacting with each other to determine onset, length, and outcome of a criminal career. Particularly, significant life events can have profound influences on the direction of a person's life, whether it be positive or negative with regards to criminal behavior.
We've been talking a lot about how environment has a lot to do with causation: Where we live, how our family situation is, who we hang out with, who our role models are, etc. And there is no easier subpopulation that is susceptible to the lure of criminal activity than our young people. Sampson and Laub discuss the disproportionately high rate of crime that is being committed by juvenile offenders, and this was done back in 1992. Statistically speaking, however, shortly after their article was written, juvenile crime took a drastic downturn, and has seen a sharp decline in the past 30 or so years. Why was this?
According to Sampson and Laub, it was because, well, the juveniles grew up and became contributing members of society: they got jobs, married, had kids, and essentially "grew up." The process is called "Aging Out," and it is a very real phenomenon, but it doesn't always apply to everyone the same way. There are two main themes in Sampson and Laub's article: Continuity and Stability with regards to Developmental Life Course Theory that apply to both the continued life of a criminal and the "Aging Out" of a criminal. Discuss both sides.
Read the article titled "Crime and Deviance in the Life Course" by Robert J. Sampson and John H. Laub.
How to find the article: In a search box (Google or Safari), type "Crime and Deviance in the Life Course." One of the results should be a link to a Harvard University .pdf by the authors. Click that link. You may download the article to your computer for future use if you desire.
Write an essay discussing the main topic points of Stability and Continuity within the Developmental Life Course Theory paradigm from both the perspective of a criminal offender and a non-criminal offender.