Does Military Service Continue to Facilitate Desistance? Revisiting Theory and Practice

ABSTRACT

Military service can provide a source of behavioral desistance but may also increase different types of offending behavior. In addition, changes in law and social practice regarding recruitment may hinder the crime reducing effect. I examined the desistance effect of military service in an ongoing longitudinal study, specifically the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. The study identifies limited involvement in service, either in active or reservist capacity, and inconsistent influences on subsequent criminal behavior. The findings expand the relevance of socio-cultural considerations in life-course research and desistance in particular. The current study also suggests opportunities for theoretical re-evaluation of the impact of military service on crime.

Additional information

Funding

This study did not involve any external funding and utilized a publicly available data source. There are no conflicts of interest to report or requirements from funding sources regarding this work.

Notes on contributors

David Abeling-Judge

David Abeling-Judge is an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Sciences at Barton College. His research interests include life-course and developmental criminology, psychosocial influences of desistance from crime, and sociocultural developments in crime. He earned a M.Sc. in Forensic Mental Health Sciences from King’s College London in 2010, and a Ph.D. in Criminology and Justice Policy from Northeastern University in 2016.