By J.M. Hill

For the millennial generation, the transition to adulthood has become increasingly heterogeneous. These changes have led to a theory and body of research referred to as emerging adulthood. This period of life is of interest to criminologists because, as the well-known age crime curve indicates, during the early adult years the majority of young people who were engaged in delinquent behaviour as adolescents desist. Using a contemporary sample, this thesis firstly examines whether the concept of emerging adulthood is relevant to Dutch young adults, finding that, broadly speaking, it is. In an examination of the risk factors for delinquent behaviour are during emerging adulthood, parental support is found to protect against delinquency and excessive alcohol drinking is found to increase the risk of delinquency. In the remaining four chapters, the relevance of life-course theories of crime are tested. The evidence indicates that transitions into adult roles remain relevant for desistance from delinquency, but that changes in personality during this period also play a role. ‘Boomeranging’ between roles is found to increase the likelihood that young adults do not desist, and finally, achieving financial independence from parents is found to promote desistance, pointing to the importance of examining ‘new’ adult roles.

Leiden, Netherlands: Leiden University, 2017. 228p.