Perceived Opportunities for Future Success, Legal Identity, and Desistance

• In Event: Research from Emerging Scholars in Developmental and Life-Course Criminology

Abstract

Recent research on desistance has highlighted the importance of subjective factors such as shifts in identity, human agency, narratives, and future orientation. However, further empirical assessments are necessary to establish the relationship between internal transformations and desistance. Extending the literature on future selves, this study examines two specific constructs that may catalyze changes in criminal behavior: perceptions of opportunities for future success and legal identity. Using longitudinal data from the Pathways to Desistance study, which encompasses a cohort of serious juvenile offenders (N = 1,354), this study explores whether individuals’ perceived opportunities for future success influence their identification as lawful citizens and subsequent cessation of criminal activity. The study’s findings and implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Heejin Lee, Sam Houston State University

• Jangwon Kim, Sam Houston State University

• Insun Park, University of Akron