U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 Theoretical Developments in Criminology
NCJ Number
              185511

Author(s)
          Charles R. Tittle
Date Published

2000
Length
              51 pages
Annotation
              This chapter reviews four categories of 20th-century theoretical developments in criminology: theories of individual differences in offending, theories of variation in offending through the lifecycle, theories of diversity of crime rates among social entities, and theories of differences among social situations in criminal outcomes.
Abstract
              The most intense theoretical efforts have focused on individual variations in offending. Six major themes in theories of individual differences in criminal behavior have emerged: personal defects, learning, strain/deprivation, identity, rational choice, and control/integration. Each of these themes promotes a fundamental concept or causal process that is plausible and empirically viable. Criminologists have recently begun to focus on criminal propensity as it varies throughout the lifespan. Moffitt's two-path theory contends that as a result of neuropsychological deficits, some people have a more or less constant pattern of misbehavior throughout life. Others go through limited periods in which they have high probabilities of offending, primarily in the teen years. The age-graded theory emphasizes that career patterns of offending stem mainly from the nature and quality of an individual's social bonds as they intersect with and help crime turning points in the lifecourse. A third prominent line of theorizing in criminology attempts to explain why crime rates vary from society to society or among such social units as cities or communities. These theories can be broadly divided into those that focus exclusively on macro-level phenomena and processes; those that apply at the macro-level but have individual-level analogs; and those that simply reify individual-level explanatory principles for application to aggregates. The fourth category of theories, theories about differences in criminal behavior among situations, focuses on the immediate contexts of criminal behavior. Situations can be viewed as unique arrangements of physical and social stimuli that emerge from the various social settings to which individuals are exposed. The chapter concludes with a discussion of signs of progress and directions for the future. 224 references
      
  
          Additional Details
Agencies
        NIJ


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Research (Theoretical)
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 2000
    
          Downloads
        
                      PDF

Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Costs/benefits
        Crime causes theory
        Crime control theory
        Criminology
        Juvenile to adult criminal careers



  
Similar Publications
        
                      Maximizing Respondent-Driven Sampling Field Procedures in the Recruitment of Sexual Minorities for Health Research
                  A Longitudinal Assessment of Head Injuries as a Source of Acquired Neuropsychological Deficits and the Implications for Criminal Persistence
                  The Relationship Between Parents Intimate Partner Victimization and Youths Adolescent Relationship Abuse
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov