Describe Sampson and Laub's theory of desistance from crime. How did they incorporate elements of social bonding into their explanation?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer:
• Sampson and Laub (1993) shaped research and theory on crime over the life course.
• Developed a theory that could account for why juveniles become offenders in the first place and why transitions take place between adolescence and adulthood that can shape adult offending
• Argued about stability and change over the life course
• Sampson and Laub's theory recognizes that most adult offenders have lengthy juvenile rap sheets.
• According to Sampson and Laub some people change as they enter adulthood and social bonds are a big reason.
• Marriage is one social bond not available till adulthood, and Sampson and Laub found that a meaningful marriage has a long-term effect at reducing crime even after accounting for a troubled years prior to the marriage.
• Sampson and Laub drew from Hirschi's (1969) social control theory and concurred people are naturally capable of crime and to explain patterns of offending it must be thought in terms of restraints.
• Emphasize how nature and strength of social bonds changed over the life course and this was an important original development.
• People are remarkably consistent in their behavior, this consistency over a life course is a trajectory.
• An individual's life circumstances determine the arc of one's trajectory.
• A person's trajectory will open and close opportunities to strengthen social bonds and become a decent law-abiding citizen.
• Over a life course there are particular turning points that can impact and alter one's trajectory.
• Sampson and Laub argued that many of these significant and potential turning points are age graded and occur later in life (e.g. marriage, full-time job, children).
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