[also known as: Age-Graded Life-Course Theory of Crime, Age-Graded Development Theory, Theorie der Turning Points] Robert J. Sampson’s and John H. Laub’s Age Graded Theory or Theory of Turning Points describe the change in the crime load of individuals as a function of biographical events. For this purpose, they use
Lebenslauf
General Theory of Crime (Gottfredson & Hirschi)
The General Theory of Crime explains, like other control theories, the absence and not the emergence of crime. This leads them back to self-control. If an individual has little self-control, and has the opportunity to commit crime, criminal behavior becomes more likely. Since the opportunities for crime are widespread, lack
Career model (Quensel)
Quensel’s career model describes crime as a process that can evolve from a small insignificant offence to a serious criminal career due to the failed interaction between the individual and the environment (including judicial sanctioning). Main proponent Stephan Quensel Theory With his model, Quensel wants to combine the etiological and
Career model (Hess)
According to German sociologist Henner Hess, the emergence and consolidation of criminal behaviour can be explained by careers. The actor glides processually, pushed through the outside world and situation, but ultimately individually chosen, into a delinquent role. Main proponent Henner Hess Theory Hess’ basic assumption regarding crime theories is that
Delinquency and Drift (Matza)
Matzas work Delinquency and Drift, published in 1964, is a critique of positive criminology (e.g. Lombroso’s anthropological/anthropogenetic crime theory) as well as of the then prominent explanatory approaches to juvenile delinquency (theory of differential opportunities of Cloward & Ohlin and subculture theory according to Cohen). At the center of the
Outsiders (Becker)
In his book Outsiders, published in 1963, Becker describes the processes by which certain behaviors are criminalized. So-called moral entrepreneurs attempt to eliminate an evil they perceive by creating and enforcing norms. The groups that continue to practice the newly criminalized behaviour thus become outsiders. Through these processes, self-fulfilling prophecies
