The Development of Criminal and Antisocial Behavior

This edited book summarizes the current state of knowledge on the development of criminal and antisocial behavior over the life course. It focuses mainly on the developmental perspective, which has had a paradigmatic influence on current theoretical and empirical works in criminology. Drawing on a multidisciplinary perspective, the book explores: (a) the fundamental concepts of developmental criminology; (b) the risk and protective factors, as well as developmental processes, related to the most salient personal (e.g., genetics, personality) and environmental (e.g., family, peers, school, neighborhood) domains explaining the onset, development and desistance from criminal and antisocial behavior over the life course; (c) the developmental issues related to a number a special themes (e.g., female criminality, street gangs, sex offending, substance use) and; (d) the applied and policy implications of research in developmental criminology. In each chapter, prominent researchers from different disciplines such as criminology and psychology summarize the state of knowledge on a specific topic and offer recommendations for future research needs. This volume is a valuable resource for researchers studying criminology and criminal justice, as well as related fields such as psychology, psychiatry, sociology and public policy.