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Understanding Persistence and Desistance in Crime and Risk Behaviors in Adulthood: Implications for Theory and Prevention

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Abstract

Recent theoretical advances related to the development and course, including persistence and desistance, of antisocial behaviors and conduct problems, violent behaviors, and related problem behaviors are discussed. Integrative theoretical models, including the Dynamic Developmental Systems (DDS), are discussed. Aspects of the DDS model regarding the development of and change in antisocial behavior and violence across adolescence and early adulthood are illustrated with findings from the Oregon Youth Study, an ongoing, long-term examination of the causes and consequences of antisocial behavior for a community-based sample of men (and their romantic partners) who were raised in neighborhoods with high delinquency rates. Preventive implications of the model are discussed.

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Author Note

This paper originated from a presentation made at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meeting on longitudinal studies in Atlanta in 2010. The Oregon Youth Study (OYS) was supported by awards from National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. PHS to Dr. Capaldi: Award Number HD 46364 (Risk for Dysfunctional Relationships in Young Adults) from the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD); 1R01AA018669 (Understanding Alcohol Use over Time in Early Mid-Adulthood for At-Risk Men) from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA); and R01 DA 015485 (Adjustment Problems and Substance Use in Three Generations) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH, NICHD, NIDA, NIAAA, or the CDC. NIH, NICHD, NIDA, NIAAA, or the CDC had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oregon Social Learning Center, 10 Shelton McMurphey Blvd, Eugene, OR, 97401, USA

    Deborah M. Capaldi, David C. R. Kerr & Stacey S. Tiberio

  2. School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    David C. R. Kerr

  3. Partners for Our Children, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    J. Mark Eddy

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  1. Deborah M. Capaldi
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Correspondence to Deborah M. Capaldi.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was collected at each wave of assessment from participants old enough to complete, with assents being collected for younger participants. All procedures were approved by the Oregon Social Learning Center Internal Review Board.

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Capaldi, D.M., Kerr, D.C.R., Eddy, J.M. et al. Understanding Persistence and Desistance in Crime and Risk Behaviors in Adulthood: Implications for Theory and Prevention. Prev Sci 17, 785–793 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-015-0609-0

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