Criminologist have theorized and studied the development behind offender behavior for decades. In this paper, the strengths as well as differences of Robert Agnew’s General or Super Traits Theory and Terrie Moffitt’s Dual Pathway Developmental Theory will be discussed. Robert Angew’s Theory “identifies five life domains that contain possible crime-generating factors: personality, family, school, peers, and work” (Walsh, 342). These describe a developmental theory because they interact and provide feedback on one another during an individual’s lifetime, affecting their criminal careers or the lack thereof. Terrie Moffit’s Theory describes the finding in an ongoing study that follows individuals from birth to about 38 years of age. Moffit has
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(Walsh, 350). Even though both theories follow the basic definition of a developmental theory, both theorists, Agnew and Moffit, have their own theories about how criminal behavior forms or if we are born criminals.
Robert Agnew’s Super Traits Theory In Robert Agnew’s developmental theory, there are five aspects that shape each individual’s behavior. Those aspects are: personality, family, school, peers, and work. Personality traits affect all other domains in an individual’s life because it influences how other people in those domains react to them. According to Agnew, low self-control and irritability encompass many other traits that are present in offenders, these two are referred to as “super traits”. Angew states that “biological …show more content…
“Moffitt calls the former adolescent-limited (AL) offenders and the latter life-course persistent (LCP) offenders” (Walsh 344). Life-Course persistent (LCP) offenders have temperamental and neuropsychological deficits combine with inept parenting. These lead to antisocial characteristics and negative interactions with others. Eventually the adolescent will no longer have close ties to family and turn to peers for guidance and influences, typically negative ones. Following in the footsteps of the negative peer pressure, the adolescent will begin to commit crime and other delinquent behaviors, leading to a possible criminal record and time served. The other pathway of Moffitt’s theory is caused to adolescence alone. Adolescent-limited (AL) raised “are ‘normal’ youths adapting to the transitional events surrounding adolescence whose offending is a social phenomenon played out in peer groups and does not reflect any stable personal deficiencies” (Walsh 346). In other word, AL offenders are raised like any other normal youth but once they hit adolescence their brain starts changing which causes neurological changes and endocrine changes, increasing irritability and low-self control. This can cause them to interact with delinquent peers and participate in criminal activity. But once through
(Walsh, 350). Even though both theories follow the basic definition of a developmental theory, both theorists, Agnew and Moffit, have their own theories about how criminal behavior forms or if we are born criminals.
Robert Agnew’s Super Traits Theory In Robert Agnew’s developmental theory, there are five aspects that shape each individual’s behavior. Those aspects are: personality, family, school, peers, and work. Personality traits affect all other domains in an individual’s life because it influences how other people in those domains react to them. According to Agnew, low self-control and irritability encompass many other traits that are present in offenders, these two are referred to as “super traits”. Angew states that “biological …show more content…
“Moffitt calls the former adolescent-limited (AL) offenders and the latter life-course persistent (LCP) offenders” (Walsh 344). Life-Course persistent (LCP) offenders have temperamental and neuropsychological deficits combine with inept parenting. These lead to antisocial characteristics and negative interactions with others. Eventually the adolescent will no longer have close ties to family and turn to peers for guidance and influences, typically negative ones. Following in the footsteps of the negative peer pressure, the adolescent will begin to commit crime and other delinquent behaviors, leading to a possible criminal record and time served. The other pathway of Moffitt’s theory is caused to adolescence alone. Adolescent-limited (AL) raised “are ‘normal’ youths adapting to the transitional events surrounding adolescence whose offending is a social phenomenon played out in peer groups and does not reflect any stable personal deficiencies” (Walsh 346). In other word, AL offenders are raised like any other normal youth but once they hit adolescence their brain starts changing which causes neurological changes and endocrine changes, increasing irritability and low-self control. This can cause them to interact with delinquent peers and participate in criminal activity. But once through