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.

By Géraldine Bugnon

"This book analyses the non-custodial government of young offenders in two major cities in Brazil. In doing so, it delves into the paradox of an institution exerting control over youths while at the same time promoting their autonomy and responsibility. The study sheds light on the specific logics of power, control, and inequality produced by such institutional settings. The book’s analysis is based on an ethnographic study of ‘Assisted Freedom’ (Liberdade Assistida) – a form of probation – in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. This particular context – which is characterized by endemic violent crime, on the one hand, and a highly protective juvenile justice system, on the other – sheds productive light on the contradictions of juvenile justice systems and other public policies based on the values of citizenship, autonomy, and responsibilization. The analysis takes the form of an inverted zoom structure: it begins by looking at cognitive and interactional processes at the level of interpersonal relationships between youths and professionals, and then works its way up to examine ties outside the institution itself, with schools, the labour market, and juvenile courts. Written in a clear and direct style, this book will appeal to students and scholars in criminology, sociology, cultural studies, and social theory and those interested in learning about non-custodial measures and the regulation of juvenile delinquency."

London; New York: Routledge, 2021. 270p.