Both theories focus on the impact a child’s upbringing has on their development in terms of criminal behavior. Moreover, the early stages of life dictate the outcome of one’s particular behavior. The adolescent-limited theory proposes two paths an individual takes that lead to their criminal behavior, life course persisters and adolescent-limited. The life course persisters face a dual threat that can influence deviant behavior. The combination of neuropsychological disorders and the lack of a good family structure can cause their antisocial behavior that extends into one 's adulthood. In contrast, adolescent-limited points to factors, such as a maturity gap and a copy-cat mentality that leads to deviant behavior during an individual’s adolescences. …show more content…
Trajectory points to a pattern of behavior that if not noted and changed, will continue a similar pattern. For example, a young adult who sets a goal of being an honor student in high school and eventually goes to college to be a doctor is less likely to become a criminal than someone who has been expelled from high school and has no aspirations to further their education or start a family. The second factor the age-graded theory points to, are turning points. Turning points are the changes that influence one’s course of life that can impact their career as a criminal. Social capital is considered the determining result of whether an individual remains unlawful or chooses a new direction in life. For example, an offender that can’t break their cycle of behavior develops a romantic relationship has thus gained positive social capital by getting married and reduces the chance of reoffending. Developmental theories are called such due to the criminal behavior being a developmental process in one’s criminal career, from the early stages that follow the course of actions throughout the lifespan of criminal the criminal career until such activity desists. Included in this theory are forces such as biological, sociological, psychological and socioeconomic factors that impact an individual from the onset of deviant or criminal behavior through the lifespan of such activity until the behavior