Principles, Concepts, and Assumptions of the Forms of Developmental Theory

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Chapter Six: Developmental Theories of Delinquency
Most young people who engage in delinquent acts do not always become delinquents in adulthood. There are a lot of questions surrounding the development of delinquency, leading to the creation of the developmental theory of delinquency. Through its two forms (life-course theory and latent trait), development theory focuses on the start, continuity, and termination of delinquent acts among all people. The essay will address questions that seek to understand the progress of delinquent acts from childhood to adulthood and their facilitators.
The developmental theory places focus on the start, continuity, and terminating delinquent acts. The forms of the developmental theory include the latent trait and the life-course theory. In life-course theory, delinquency is a process that is influenced and impacted by individual attributes and psychosocial factors (Siegel and Welsh 182). Additionally, the life-course theory suggests that the factors that result in antisocial trends change immensely throughout a person’s life. On the other hand, the latent trait theory implies that acts of delinquency throughout a person’s life are caused by personal characteristics, psychosocial conditions, including impulsiveness and property (182).
The works of Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck contributed to the foundation of developmental theory. Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck followed them to find out the biological, social, and psychological attributes in known delinquents that steered the offending acts (182-183). The results were that relationships within the family are especially disciplining techniques, and emotional connections were most significant.
The life-course approach implies that all people start and develop behaviors and relationships as toddlers that usually determine and identify their adult lives. However, some people cannot develop and mature into good and upright characters due to family and personal issues. Some children may get and sink into delinquent acts due to negative life experiences (184). On the other hand, positive experiences can help them overcome the pressure to get into offending and law-breaking.
The problem behavior syndrome (PBS) is a developmental view, where delinquency is best understood as one of the several at-risk social issues that youths face day-in-day-out. According to PBS, delinquency is placed in the same group as antisocial behaviors. The factors that form the roots of PBS include physical and sexual assault, smoking addiction, early and unplanned pregnancies, failure in class, and frustrations due to lack of jobs (184).
According to Sampson and Laub’s age-graded life-course theory, understanding delin...