DEVELOPMENTAL AND LIFE‐COURSE CRIMINOLOGY: KEY THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL ISSUES‐THE 2002 SUTHERLAND AWARD ADDRESS*
Abstract
The main aim of this paper is to advance knowledge and (especially) theories about developmental and life‐course criminology (DLC). First, I review the widely accepted DLC findings that all DLC theories have been designed to explain. Second, I review more contentious and unresolved empirical DLC issues that might present challenges to DLC theories. Third, I describe my own DLC theory and specify how it addresses key empirical and theoretical questions. Fourth, I summarize five important DLC theories, by Catalano and Hawkins, Sampson and Laub, Moffitt, LeBlanc, and Thornberry and Krohn. Fifth, I identify differences in assumptions and predictions between my theory and the other five theories. Finally, I recommend a detailed comparison of the key features of all DLC theories, of their answers to key empirical and theoretical questions, and of their predictions regarding key unresolved empirical DLC issues.
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The study employed one of the most rigorous nonexperimental methodological designs capable of accounting for a wide range of selection effects and confounding influences.
“First, we followed the call of previous research (see, e.g., Farrington, 2003; Murray et al., 2009; Piquero et al., 2011; Pogarsky, 2002) and employed one of the most rigorous nonexperimental methodological designs capable of accounting for a wide range of selection effects and confounding influences.”
From Does contact with the justice system deter or promote future delinquency? Results from a longitudinal study of British adolescent twins (2020) · cites this paper as Farrington, 2003
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“First, we followed the call of previous research (see, e.g., Farrington, 2003; Murray et al., 2009; Piquero et al., 2011; Pogarsky, 2002) and employed one of the most rigorous nonexperimental methodological designs capable of accounting for a wide range of selection effects and confounding…”
MethodLantz, B. (2021) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/0886260518786497 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Spruit, A., van der Put, C., Gubbels, J., & Bindels, A. (2017) · Journal of Criminal Justice · doi:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2017.04.006 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
- Authors
- FARRINGTON, D. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Corresponding author
- FARRINGTON, DAVID P.
- ORCID
- FARRINGTON, DAVID P.
- Venue
- Criminology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-05
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 221-225
- ISSN
- 0011-1384 (ISSN-L)
- 1745-9125
- OpenAlex
- W1975283997
- Cited by
- 660
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 24 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 59 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 40 · 2016: 39 · 2015: 44 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 31
- FWCI
- 31.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Criminology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Keywords
- developmental criminology, life course criminology, criminological theory, theory comparison, offending trajectories, risk factors for offending
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