ABSTRACT
Although longitudinal studies of developmental trajectories of juvenile offending have been ongoing for over two decades, longitudinal studies on desistance trajectories are lacking. The purpose of this study is to identify adolescents who desist from delinquent behaviors while still in their adolescence. The study also examines the roles of parental attachment and low self-control in the prediction of identified desistance pathways using data from the Korean Youth Panel Study (KYPS), a five-year longitudinal study of South Korean youth. In an analysis of latent growth model, this study suggests that low self-control is strongly related to juvenile desistance trajectories. In addition, there is evidence of an indirect relationship between parental attachment and desistance. The results from this analysis will be examined in light of previous findings. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.
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Wanhee Lee
Wanhee Lee is an Associate Professor of Police Science and Security Studies at Gachon University. He received his Ph.D. in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg. Dr. Lee’s research focuses on juvenile delinquency, crimes against women and victimology. He has published several books in these areas and has articles in the Psychology of Women Quarterly and Children and Youth Services Review.
Junseob Moon
Junseob Moon is an Associate Professor of Police Administration at Catholic Kwandong University. He received his Ph.D. in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University. Dr. Moon’s research focuses on crime analysis, criminal profiling, juvenile justice matters. He also conducts research in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design(CPTED). He has published several books in these areas and has articles in the Policing: An International Journal, The Korean Association of Police Science, and Korean Security Science Review.
Venessa Garcia
Venessa Garcia is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at New Jersey City University. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from the SUNY University at Buffalo. Dr. Garcia’s research focuses on oppressed groups but mainly on women as officials, criminals, and victims. She also conducts research in crime and media. She has published several books in these areas and has articles in the Journal of Criminal Justice, Police Practice and Research: An International Journal, and the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. She has served as Deputy Editor of Feminist Criminology since 2005.