What is desistance and how can it be explained Essay

What is desistance and how can it be explained - Essay Example Desistance can be classified as being either primary or secondary. Primary desistance refers to behavioural changes while secondary relates to changes in identity. Secondary desistance works best for people with a protracted history of heinous crimes because a change in identity would be more effective compared to a mere behavioural alteration. In as much as desistance is based on a personal opinion, the social setup also has influences. People would be compelled to desist from or prolong criminal acts by the manner in which society views them and how the individual sees his or her place in society. If the society is positive about former criminals, the probability of the individuals desisting from crime is higher (Weaver, 2012, p. 351). The aspect of intervention in the desistance process works towards initiating hope and motivates the offenders that are ready for the cessation of crime. Interventions can be done by professionals at a personal level or through social networking that is able to reach many individuals at the same time. Therefore, interventions inculcate and develop individual self-determination and individual strengths. In addition, the state policy on criminal matters adversely affects desistance. For instance, in a situation where the policies seem to be hard on criminals, desistance is frustrated because such individuals are not motivated to turn away from offences. To understand the explanation of desistance, it is imperative to comprehend three factors. Firstly, the correlation between age and committing offences, secondly, the reason behind the commencement of the desistance process and lastly, the motives that cause people to desist from crime. Age is a vital factor as far as desistance matters are in question. For instance, crime or offences reduce with age. An individual is less likely to commit crimes during his or