Supervision: A Behavioral Management Process to Reduce Recidivism

III. Behavior and Change

Research has identified key factors that are associated with criminal behavior, the process which leads to the commission of criminal acts, and the main steps or stages of behavior change. Researchers have focused over the years on "causes" of crime ranging from poverty to the shape of offenders' heads and bodies.

As a result, a consensus has emerged regarding six factors that appear directly correlated to an individual's propensity to commit crime:

  1. History of anti-social behavior;
  2. Anti-social personality;
  3. Antisocial values and attitudes;
  4. Criminal/deviant peer association;
  5. Substance abuse; and
  6. Dysfunctional family relations.

The research indicates that if these criminogenic characteristics are effectively identified and addressed, the likelihood of future criminal activity can be substantially reduced.