A meta-theoretical approach to specifying desistance research targets.

A few hundred years ago, those who engaged in criminal activities were deemed by historical criminologists to be lost souls, unfit for society, and distinctly different from those that were good, trustworthy members of society. These perspectives rigidly categorised individuals as inherently good or evil. Only in more contemporary times, have rehabilitation efforts been pursued, with the intention to increase the opportunity for those that have walked criminal paths to choose a different path. But what aspect of rehabilitation is responsible for a change in direction for those that walk criminal paths? Is it social factors, environmental factors, or internal and personal factors? This thesis seeks to demonstrate how a greater theoretical understanding of desistance can be achieved. Desistance is “the process through which individuals cease to engage in criminal behaviour involving a combination of internal and external factors and complex social and psychological processes that reflect an individual's evolving interaction with societal norms and structures, leading to a gradual disengagement from activities associated with criminality.” The investigation of the desistance research and literature confirmed that desistance is a vague concept. The factors that contribute to desistance are likewise high-level and lacking in specificity. To better understand the phenomena of desistance, a meta-theoretical approach was required to get greater clarity. Through the use of the ‘desistance toolkit’ which comprises the Black Box Method, the Agent-Action-Context Schema and Motivational systems theory – this work illustrates how a desistance factor can be unpacked and how to gain insights into the mechanisms underlying these factors, so that future research could be more targeted and lead to better interventions. This approach helps explain why some individuals are more successful in desisting from criminal behaviour than others and provides guidance for developing tailored interventions that target motivational processes.