3. The Development and the Desistance of Crime and Violence: The Impact of Delinquent Peers and Delinquent Norms

• In Event: Pathways in Crimes of Violence and Their Drivers

Abstract

The paper focuses on the development and the desistance of criminal and especially of violent behavior of adolescents and young adults. Regarding the age-crime curve one of the important research questions in developmental criminology is: When people desist from crime (violence) during the life-course? And what are the relevant explanations? Regarding the propositions of Situational Action Theory (SAT), the impact of delinquent norms (as part of personal propensities) and delinquent peers (as part of environmental exposure) are under study within a longitudinal (panel) design.

With data from the German CrimoC (Crime in the modern city) study the propositions are analyzed on a long term panel data basis (from age 13 to age 26) using latent growth curve and growth mixture modelling. Substantive results are presented as well as some methodological problems. An outlook for future research directions is given as well

Author

• Jost Reinecke, University of Bielefeld