Glueck's Developmental Theory Analysis

Criminologists have struggled to understand and explain the criminal career of individuals and the factors that attribute to this type of life style. Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck are the founders of developmental theory within criminology that analyze this issue. Furthermore, the main goal of theory is to offer an explanation. This is how criminologists help society figure out why things are the way they are and what areas can be improved. Three developmental theories will be examined in an attempt provide a response of why delinquency persist over a period of time for some individuals while it decreases for others as they mature. Propensity theory, life-course theory, and trajectory theory, focus their attention on the diverse stages of a criminal’s …show more content…
The individual is forced to mature prematurely or late in their life span. The transition from one stage to another is not easily accomplished, additionally it may entail other problems. Due to this, the propensity to engage in criminal behavior is considered a developmental process as it is not constant or stable. Positive life events deter delinquency while negative life events further encourage it. Negative life events can trigger more events of that nature. Furthermore, delinquency is not accredited to one underlying factor given that the individual becomes influenced by multiple factors they mature. Thus, the factor that encourages delinquency early in life may not be the influence of delinquency later in life. As the individual matures the influence of factors correspondingly change. Notable life-course theories include interactional theory, age-graded theory, and general theory of crime and delinquency. For the life course theory, criminal careers are considered developmental because the behavior is constantly changing due to those who surround them (Columbia college edition). Additionally, we will approach developmental theory from another …show more content…
Looking at the similarities we can conclude that the foundation is based on life-long criminals that essentially make a career of it. With that being said delinquency is not an isolated even but rather a path entered at various stages in life. External factors and opportunity significantly influences delinquents; therefore, a particular factor cannot be singled out. Additionally, crime involvement can increase or decrease ranging from minor to the most severe form of crime. In analyzing each theory major differences are also noted. Propensity theory holds that specific traits control the behavior of delinquents, additionally explaining their chronic criminal involvement. Research here turns the attention to a master trait that remains stable and produces crime. Life-course theories suggests that the behavior of individuals changes over time and stimulated by interacting with others, interpersonal and structural factors. Trajectory theories focuses on the various paths that lead to criminality and why there’s existence of different types of criminals. Clearly the focus here is defining the what leads to these specific