NCJ Number
139097
Journal
International Annals of Criminology Volume: 27 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1989) Pages: 123-133
Date Published
1989
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This analysis of theory and research on crime causes challenges perspectives focusing on criminal careers and argues that research findings support more useful general theories such as control theories, which apply to all crimes, all offenders, and all public policies.
Abstract
The criminal career perspective is prominent in American criminology. However, social control theory, opportunity theory, analyses of the relationship between age and crime, analyses of the nature of crime, and findings revealing that only a small percentage of offenders specialize all indicate the inadequacies of the career perspective. The research findings clearly argue against any meaningful pattern of offenses over the lifetime of offenders. Nevertheless, the career perspective has influenced public policy, leading to selective incapacitation, selective prosecution of career criminals, and other criminal justice solutions to the crime problem. These solutions lack justification or merit, according to control theory. Fortunately, control theory and other general theories of crime have survived the criminal careers perspective and account for the great majority of the offender population. 12 references