PERSISTENCE OF CRIMINAL OFFENDING: A CONCEPTUAL EXPLICATION OF DEFIANCE AND LIFE COURSE THEORIES

Abstract

Persistence in criminal offending has been explained from various empirical studies suggesting that different issues are at play when it comes to the determination of persistence in offending by offenders in the society. This paper conceptually discussed criminal persistence using defiance and life course theoretical explications. The paper looked at the different theoretical prepositions of defiance and life course perspectives. It highlights the contributions of labelling as well as deterrence theories; and observed that criminal persistence is better determined from a holistic point of view. Thus, all the theories (defiance theory, life course theory, deterrence & labelling theory) are at play when it comes to the analysis of criminal persistence. Given this finding, the paper called for a grand theory that will incorporate the tenets of defiance theory, life course theory, deterrence and labelling theory for the holistic understanding of criminal persistence, and how to curtail the menace associated with it.