Intergenerational offending
| Date | 01 June 2017 |
| Author | Catherine Flynn,Karen Gelb,Nina Van Dyke |
| Published date | 01 June 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0264550517701200 |
| Subject Matter | Comment |
Comment
Intergenerational
offending: The case for
exploring resistance
Catherine Flynn
Monash University, Australia
Nina Van Dyke
EY Sweeney, Australia
Karen Gelb
Western Sydney University School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Australia
Abstract
Intergenerational offending refers to the observed phenomenon that offending tends to
run in families. As small groups of families have been shown to be responsible for a
considerable proportion of crime, there has been a substantial amount of effort
expended in researching both the prevalence and patterns of such crime. The
mechanisms by which intergenerational continuity of offending is generated, how-
ever, are not well understood. Perhaps more importantly, there is even less under-
standing about those factors that may prevent intergenerational offending. Given the
strong focus on examining risk factors for offending, the observation that the majority
of children in families where there is parental offending do not go on to become
offenders themselves seems to have become lost in the discussion. This article presents
a brief overview of research that aims to understand the intergenerational transmis-
sion of offending, but then goes on to argue that we need to develop our under-
standing of protective factors and resistance as well if we are to improve our efforts at
prevention. An understanding of the internal and external resources and strategies
utilized by those who resist criminal behaviour will enable researchers and policy-
makers to rigorously examine and verify these, and implement relevant supportive
strategies.
Corresponding Author:
Catherine Flynn, Department of Social Work, Monash University, PO Box 197, Caulfield East VIC 3145,
Australia.
Email: catherine.flynn@monash.edu
The Journal of Community and Criminal Justice
Probation Journal
2017, Vol. 64(2) 146–154
ªThe Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0264550517701200
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