Criminal Careers in the Short-Term: Intra-Individual Variability in Crime and Its Relation to Local Life Circumstances

TLDR

The study examines how month‑to‑month changes in local life circumstances influence offending among convicted felons, testing formal and informal social‑control mechanisms. A hierarchical linear model is used to conduct a within‑individual analysis of offending patterns relative to local life circumstances. Results indicate that short‑term variations in criminal activity are strongly associated with changes in local life circumstances. © 1995 American Sociological Association; abstract adapted from American Sociological Review.

Abstract

We analyze month-to-month variations in offending and life circumstances of convicted felons to understand change in criminal behavior. We extend previous applications of social control theory by considering whether local life circumstances that strengthen or weaken social bonds influence offending over relatively short periods of time. We seek to determine whether formal and informal mechanisms of social control affect the likelihood of committing nine major felonies. We employ a hierarchical linear model that provides a within-individual analysis as we explore factors that determine the pattern of offending. The results suggest that meaningful short-term change in involvement in crime is strongly related to variation in local life circumstances. (Abstract Adapted from Source: American Sociological Review, 1995. Copyright © 1995 by the American Sociological Association) Social Bonding Social Control Theory Adult Crime Adult Offender Adult Violence Violence Causes Crime Causes Life Stress Crime Causes Violence Causes Stress Effects Offender Stress Adult Stress 04-03