desistance
Ceasing criminal activity
Desistance is the act or process of ceasing to do something, particularly in criminology, where it refers to the gradual process by which offenders stop committing crimes: Research on desistance shows that most people age out of criminal behavior.
The term emphasizes stopping as a process rather than a single decision.
The verb is desist.
Ceasing to continue
- haltingMarked by hesitation
- discontinuationFormal ending of something
- terminationAct of ending something
- abstainingVoluntarily doing without
refraining · forbearance · suspension · ending · conclusion · arrest · moratorium · standstill
Control over impulses
- self-controlAbility to restrain impulses
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
- resolveFirmness of purpose
- determinationFirmness of purpose
abstinence · temperance · willpower · forbearance · self-denial · moderation · sobriety · continence
Habitual return to crime
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- reoffendingCommitting crimes again
- probationSupervised trial period
- paroleConditional early release
reintegration · correctional · restorative justice · penology · reentry · offender · second chance · turning point
Thorough change in form
- changeTo make different
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
- recoveryRegaining what was lost
- amendmentChange to official text
self-improvement · behavioral change · personal growth · new beginning · fresh start · maturation · prosocial · accountability
Relieving oneself of weight
- releaseTo let go
- freedomAbsence of constraint
- liberationRelease from constraint
- letting goReleasing one's grasp
moving on · closure · peace · exhale · breaking free · escape · deliverance · emancipation
stopping
Ceasing to continue
- haltingMarked by hesitation
- discontinuationFormal ending of something
- terminationAct of ending something
abstaining · refraining · forbearance · suspension · ending · conclusion · arrest · moratorium · standstill · withdrawal
restraint
Control over impulses
- self-controlAbility to restrain impulses
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
- resolveFirmness of purpose
determination · abstinence · temperance · willpower · forbearance · self-denial · moderation · sobriety · continence · holding back
recidivism
Habitual return to crime
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- reoffendingCommitting crimes again
- probationSupervised trial period
parole · reintegration · correctional · restorative justice · penology · reentry · offender · second chance · turning point · aging out
transformation
Thorough change in form
- changeTo make different
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
- recoveryRegaining what was lost
amendment · self-improvement · behavioral change · personal growth · new beginning · fresh start · maturation · prosocial · accountability · making amends
unburdening
Relieving oneself of weight
- releaseTo let go
- freedomAbsence of constraint
- liberationRelease from constraint
letting go · moving on · closure · peace · exhale · breaking free · escape · deliverance · emancipation
- rehabilitationrehab, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, inpatient rehab
- juvenile delinquencyjuvenile crime, juvenile justice, juvenile court, youth crime, youth offenders
desistancepersistence
Continuing despite difficulty
continuation · perseverance · action · resumption · perpetuation
exist, resist, assist, existence, resistance, persistent, resistant, insistent, desist