Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of “Developmental Theory of Crime” in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on “Developmental Theory” and its relation with other theories on the concerned topic. The research also analyzes many aspects of “Theories of Crime”” and tries to gauge its effect on comrhensively explaining the development of anti social and criminal activities among people.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents2

Introduction3

Discussion5

Development Theory Perspective5

The Development Theory of Crime by Terri Moffitt7

Life Course Persistent Offenders11

Supporting Theories for Moffitt's Development Theory of Crime14

Age-Graded Theory by Sampson and Laub14

Thornberry's Interactional Theory15

The Social Development Model15

Conclusion16

The Developmental Theory: Implementation in Practical Life16

Works Cited17

Developmental Theory of Crime

Introduction

The human society is established upon the principles of shared values and interdependency among individuals. In a common society the people seek to work together to form a harmonious community and have social order in their lives. However ever since the advent of the civilized human society, there has also been an ever present existence of the selectee few individuals that indulge in activities which are counterproductive to the goals of the entire society. These individuals have a goal to disrupt the normal flow of life3 and introduce anarchy and chaos where their e is peace and harmony. Crime is just as significant factor of the human life, as the concept of the society itself. No human society is without its criminal elements that consists of a small group of individual either working on an individual basis or through an organized group to react against the cultures of the society. The conflict between the chaotic and civilized elements of the society has been persistent for a very long time, and several activities which establish of government and community authorities to halt the criminal activities have been adopted by the societies. Over the time these activities to react against the criminal elements have proven to be effective, but not strategic to absolutely control the phenomenon (Hirschi, 117). Researchers and psychologists have been given an active role to eliminate the criminal based elements from the society, as the traditional methods seem to be ineffective in the modem society. In the contemporary society the advances in the technology and knowledge has made the process of criminal activities very complex and difficult to detect. Hence authorities have a more difficult task to catch the highly sophisticated criminals in the modern society. The most effective method to halt the criminal activities from the society is to be able to understand the framework of this concept and realizes the influencing factors that motivate an individual to commit criminal activities. Instead of taking a reactionary perspective, the relevant authorities that have the task of maintaining law and order in the society must seek to adopt a proactive approach, which will enable them to eliminate the factors that lead people to commit criminal activities.

This approach has been the most effective tool to combat the emergence of criminal elements in the society and it has been very significant in ...