Persisters and Desisters in Crime from Adolescence into Adulthood

Focusing on the transition between juvenile offending and adult crime, this book examines research based on Dutch, European and North-American studies on the persistence and discontinuity of offending between late adolescence and early adulthood. Presenting empirical studies showing why persistence or discontinuity take place, the book provides up-to-date information on preventive and remedial interventions to promote discontinuity of offending amongst young adults.

Rolf Loeber is Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Epidemiology, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, USA. Machteld Hoeve is Research Fellow Forensic Child and Youth Care Sciences, University of Amsterdam. N. Wim Slot is Professor of Education and Child Protection, VU University Amsterdam.

1: Introduction; 2: Criminal Career Patterns; 3: Disentangling Context Effects on Criminal Careers; 4: Explanations of Offending; 5: Vulnerable Youth in Pathways to Adulthood; 6: Risk Assessment and the Impact of Risk and Protective Factors; 7: Juveniles in Transition from Juvenile Justice to Adult Criminal Justice; 8: Offending and Justice Response at the Juvenile-Adult Interface; 9: Prevention Programmes in Early and Middle Childhood and Their Effect on Adult Crime; 10: Interventions; 11: European Perspectives; 12: Overview, Conclusions, and Policy and Research Recommendations