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Cited by 2,793Crime Patterns and InterventionsCrime, Deviance, and Social ControlCriminal Justice and Penology

Crime in the Making: Pathways and Turning Points Through Life

SAMPSON, ROBERT J., LAUB, JOHN H.·1993·Crime & Delinquency
DOI 10.1177/0011128793039003010
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Abstract

This explanation of crime and deviance over the life course is based on the re-analysis of a classic set of data: Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck's mid-century study of 500 delinquents and 500 non-delinquents from childhood to adulthood. More than five years ago, Robert Sampson and John Laub dusted off 60 cartons of the Gluecks' data that had been stored in the basement of the Harvard Law School and undertook a lengthy process of recoding, computerizing, and reanalyzing it. On the basis of their findings, Sampson and Laub developed a theory of informal social control over the life course which integrates three ideas. First, social bonds to family and school inhibit delinquency in childhood and adolescence. Second, there is continuity in antisocial and deviant behaviour from childhood through adulthood across various dimensions, such as crime, alcohol abuse, divorce and unemployment. And finally, despite these continuities, attachment to the labour force and cohesive marriage sharply mitigate criminal activities. Sampson and Laub thus acknowledge the importance of childhood behaviours and individual differences, but reject the implication that adult social factors have little relevance. They seek to account for both stability and change in crime and deviance throughout the life course. Crime in the making challenges several major ideas found in contemporary theory and aims to provide an important new foundation for rethinking criminal justice policy.

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Crossref · 10.1177/0011128793039003010

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  • Most studies focused on adolescents, even though many models emphasize parenting during childhood.

    “Most studies were focused on adolescents despite the fact that many models emphasize the role of parenting during childhood (e.g., Gottfredson and Hirschi 1990; Moffitt and Caspi 2001; Sampson and Laub 1993).”

    From The Relationship Between Parenting and Delinquency: A Meta-analysis (2009) · cites this paper as Sampson and Laub 1993

  • Limited future employment opportunities and earnings potential are among the strongest predictors of recidivism.

    “which themselves are among the strongest predictors of recidivism (Shover 1996; Sampson and Laub 1993; Uggen 2000).”

    From The Mark of a Criminal Record (2003) · cites this paper as Sampson and Laub 1993

  • Research consistently shows that finding quality steady employment is one of the strongest predictors of desistance from crime.

    “Research consistently shows that finding quality steady employment is one of the strongest predictors of desistance from crime (Shover 1996; Sampson and Laub 1993; Uggen 2000).”

    From The Mark of a Criminal Record (2003) · cites this paper as Sampson and Laub 1993

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Authors
SAMPSON, R. J., & LAUB, J. H.
Affiliations
University of Chicago (US)
ORCID
SAMPSON, ROBERT J.
Venue
Crime & Delinquency
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
1993-07
Volume
39
Issue
3
Pages
396-396
ISSN
  • 0011-1287 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-387X
DOI
10.1177/0011128793039003010
OpenAlex
W2061165131
Cited by
2,793
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 122 · 2025: 83 · 2024: 71 · 2023: 100 · 2022: 88 · 2021: 111 · 2020: 95 · 2019: 161 · 2018: 84 · 2017: 112 · 2016: 113 · 2015: 142 · 2014: 146 · 2013: 116 · 2012: 120
FWCI
77.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
Crime & Delinquency (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime, Deviance, and Social Control
  • Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
Keywords
life course criminology, informal social control, social bonds, family attachment, school attachment, antisocial behavior, alcohol abuse, divorce, unemployment, labor force attachment, marriage, criminal justice policy

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