Handbook of Life-Course Criminology: Emerging Trends and Directions for Future Research

The wide-ranging scope of the Handbook of Life-Course Criminology covers genetics and environment, child offenders and late bloomers, the impact of school and peers, lifelong and time-limited criminal careers, and qualitative and quantitative methodologies. This unique Handbook is further set apart by its dual coverage of the leading edge of current research and innovative directions for future work in the field.

Pathways to crime have been a central concept of criminology from its inception. Accordingly, a lifespan approach to the field has replaced earlier biological and sociological perspectives with a more nuanced understanding of offender behavior and a wider lens of study. The contributions to this Handbook break down issues of criminal and antisocial behavior from early childhood to late adulthood, examining developmentally targeted prevention and intervention strategies and reviewing emerging trends in research. Among the topics:

· Childhood: including physical aggression in childhood, pre- and peri-natal development, and environment.

· Adolescence: the impact of schooling, unstructured time with peers, gang membership and peer networks.

· Adulthood: Adult onset crime, unemployment in emerging adulthood, crime and adult outcomes.

· Prevention and Intervention: community programs, lifetime intervention strategies, re-entry.

This volume will be a valuable piece for researchers in Criminology and Criminal Justice as well as related disciplines such as Sociology, Developmental Psychology, and Social Policy. It will serve as an important reference for the current state of research, as well as a roadmap for future scholars.