“I just grew up”, what does it mean?

I’ve been speaking with individuals who have a history of offending and they are now desisting.  One statement that I hear repeatedly is that “I just grew up” and that the changes in the thinking and behaviour were part of maturing.

There are maturational reform theories to explain desistance that suggest that changes in criminality are related to aspects related to the life-course such as physical, mental and biological changes (Maruna 2000, in link below Giving up Crime).  However, if this was the only influence then I would expect that all the people I’ve been speaking to would have ceased offending in their later 20s, but this is not the case.

So this growing up can involve other influences.  For instance the importance of positive relationships is of course a factor for the people that I’ve spoken with.  Interestingly, it is not always new relationships but the reforming of longstanding relationships that were breaking down and suffering as a result of the offending lifestyle.  Interestingly there is a change in the importance that the individual places on these relationships.  This is something that I am going to explore further with the people I’ve spoken with.

I think that “growing up” has a different meaning to people at different stages in their lives.  For instance when you are 18 or 19 you may think that you are mature and capable, but on looking back ten, twenty and more years later, you may see it very differently.  The same way that being “grown up” may be defined differently by an individual at the different life stages.  In the context of desistance, at the moment I’m thinking that growing up is a culmination of taking responsibility, understanding the past and thinking more about the impact an individual has on others.  It is a very personal and individual process, much like desistance is, and for this reason I’m not sure if there is an explanation that can be shared more universally.  This is something that I’m going to reflect on more though as it is an interesting area to explore.