Conceptualizing Persistent Offending

• In Event: Contemplating Criminal Career Dimensions

Abstract

Despite numerous empirical examinations and theoretical explanations, persistent offending remains a contentious concept in criminology. There are debates in the field regarding the exact definition of persistence, as well as whether persistent criminals can be prospectively identified. This paper aims to contribute to this debate by proposing that persistent offending is characterised by a criminal career that spans multiple life stages while maintaining a rank ordering of persistence when compared to a representative sample. It is argued that this definition is applicable to a variety of measures, such as antisocial behaviour, self-reported offending, arrests, and incarcerations. It is further contended that there are varying degrees of persistence. Indeed, a persistent criminal career could span 40, 60, or 80 years. To accurately measure persistence, the duration of the criminal career needs to be analysed. Although variables such as frequency, severity, chronicity, and onset age are often used as measures of persistence, they fail to capture the defining feature of this phenomenon. Persistence is also argued to not be immutable to change, suggesting that intermittency, (de)escalation, and desistance from offending are all within the spectrum of a persistent criminal career.

Authors

• Tyson Whitten, Griffith University

• Tara Renae McGee, Griffith University

• Ross Homel, Griffith University