Crime Prevention Exam 2 – Developmental
Theories, Risk Factors, and Life-Course
Approaches Verified Questions Provided with
A+ Graded Rationales Latest Updated 2026
DCP (developmental crime prevention) causal mechanisms
-posit that most people pro-social development (trying to explain what "goes wrong" in the
developmental process)
-target the psychological causes of crime (focuses on the potential of individuals to become
criminal)
DCP assumptions
-criminal potential develops from social processes in early life experiences (most importantly
social learning)
-life course theories are an alternative that see developmental process as a "messier" affair
(people head along "trajectories" that can change over time)
self-control theory (DCP)
-crime and devance are natural
-social learning theory (pro-social behavior is natural, anti-social behavior is learned)
-social control theory (anti-social behavior is natural, pro-social behavior must be learned)
-low self control is the key predictor
-people with low self control are attracted to crime
-self control develops early and cannot be easily changed later
-propensity to offend if stable over life course
multiple pathways to crime (DCP)
-posits 3 developmental trajectories
-non-offenders
-adolescent limited offenders (prosocial during childhood, commit deviant acts during
adolescents, mature out of crime by adulthood, developmentally normal)
-life course persistent offenders (antisocial in childhood, stable propensity to offend over life
course)
social development theory (DCP)
-protective factors and risk factors interact during childhood and adolescents
-dynamic model where person can change over time (no stable propensity to offend)
, -cumulative effects (makes it hard to change one's path as life course unfolds)
-prosocial and antisocial pathways (lots of factors push in each direction)
-protective and risk factors are mostly social (human beings are social creatures, so
environment matters. interaction of social structures, external constraints, and individual
constitutional factors)
-changes in social environment can change pathway (DCP programs should try to replace risk
factors with protective factors)
Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential Theory (ICAP) (DCP)
-why do people become criminals (developmental question)
-why do people commit offenses? (situational question)
-based on social insights from social learning, strain theory, control theories, labeling theory,
rational choice and routine activities theory
age graded life course theory (DCP)
-informal social control theory
-people will commit deviance without social control
-social bonds are the main source of informal social control
-offenders can desist from crime over life course
-important social bonds vary over the life course
labeling theory
-primary deviance->labeling->role engulfment->secondary deviance
-self reinforcing process (secondary deviance is worse than primary deviance
-DCP programs include radical non-intervention, re-integrative shaming, restorative justice
DCP risk factors
variables that predict high probability of offending
DCP Promotive factors
variables that predict low probability of offending
DCP protective factors
variables that predict low probability of offending among persons exposed to risk factors
individual risk factors (DCP)
-low intelligence/academic attainment (low verbal IQ predicts future offending)
-low empathy
Theories, Risk Factors, and Life-Course
Approaches Verified Questions Provided with
A+ Graded Rationales Latest Updated 2026
DCP (developmental crime prevention) causal mechanisms
-posit that most people pro-social development (trying to explain what "goes wrong" in the
developmental process)
-target the psychological causes of crime (focuses on the potential of individuals to become
criminal)
DCP assumptions
-criminal potential develops from social processes in early life experiences (most importantly
social learning)
-life course theories are an alternative that see developmental process as a "messier" affair
(people head along "trajectories" that can change over time)
self-control theory (DCP)
-crime and devance are natural
-social learning theory (pro-social behavior is natural, anti-social behavior is learned)
-social control theory (anti-social behavior is natural, pro-social behavior must be learned)
-low self control is the key predictor
-people with low self control are attracted to crime
-self control develops early and cannot be easily changed later
-propensity to offend if stable over life course
multiple pathways to crime (DCP)
-posits 3 developmental trajectories
-non-offenders
-adolescent limited offenders (prosocial during childhood, commit deviant acts during
adolescents, mature out of crime by adulthood, developmentally normal)
-life course persistent offenders (antisocial in childhood, stable propensity to offend over life
course)
social development theory (DCP)
-protective factors and risk factors interact during childhood and adolescents
-dynamic model where person can change over time (no stable propensity to offend)
, -cumulative effects (makes it hard to change one's path as life course unfolds)
-prosocial and antisocial pathways (lots of factors push in each direction)
-protective and risk factors are mostly social (human beings are social creatures, so
environment matters. interaction of social structures, external constraints, and individual
constitutional factors)
-changes in social environment can change pathway (DCP programs should try to replace risk
factors with protective factors)
Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential Theory (ICAP) (DCP)
-why do people become criminals (developmental question)
-why do people commit offenses? (situational question)
-based on social insights from social learning, strain theory, control theories, labeling theory,
rational choice and routine activities theory
age graded life course theory (DCP)
-informal social control theory
-people will commit deviance without social control
-social bonds are the main source of informal social control
-offenders can desist from crime over life course
-important social bonds vary over the life course
labeling theory
-primary deviance->labeling->role engulfment->secondary deviance
-self reinforcing process (secondary deviance is worse than primary deviance
-DCP programs include radical non-intervention, re-integrative shaming, restorative justice
DCP risk factors
variables that predict high probability of offending
DCP Promotive factors
variables that predict low probability of offending
DCP protective factors
variables that predict low probability of offending among persons exposed to risk factors
individual risk factors (DCP)
-low intelligence/academic attainment (low verbal IQ predicts future offending)
-low empathy
