Association between behaviour at age 3 years and adult criminality
Association between behaviour at age 3 years and adult criminality
Background: The continuity in antisocial behaviour into adulthood from middle childhood is well established but it is not clear whether this is also true of the pre-school period.
Aims: To determine whether pre-school behaviour problems increase the risk of later criminal convictions and add to risk associated with family and social circumstances.
Method: The records of adult convictions were traced for a general population sample (n=828) initially assessed at age 3 years.
Results: The risk of having any adult conviction was related to soiling, daytime enuresis, activity level and management difficulties, and that of having an adult violent offence to recent-onset daytime enuresis, management difficulties and temper tantrums. The only other predictors of later convictions were the child's gender and social competence at age 3 years.
Conclusions: The presence of specific behaviour problems in the pre-school period places the child at increased risk of being convicted of an adult offence. Family and social circumstances at age 3 years did not predict later convictions.
197-202
Stevenson, Jim
0c85d29b-d294-43cb-ab8d-75e4737478e1
Goodman, Robert
3a7e7547-d6a3-4473-a72e-d940af4498a0
September 2001
Stevenson, Jim
0c85d29b-d294-43cb-ab8d-75e4737478e1
Goodman, Robert
3a7e7547-d6a3-4473-a72e-d940af4498a0
Stevenson, Jim and Goodman, Robert
(2001)
Association between behaviour at age 3 years and adult criminality.
British Journal of Psychiatry, 179 (3), .
(doi:10.1192/bjp.179.3.197).
Abstract
Background: The continuity in antisocial behaviour into adulthood from middle childhood is well established but it is not clear whether this is also true of the pre-school period.
Aims: To determine whether pre-school behaviour problems increase the risk of later criminal convictions and add to risk associated with family and social circumstances.
Method: The records of adult convictions were traced for a general population sample (n=828) initially assessed at age 3 years.
Results: The risk of having any adult conviction was related to soiling, daytime enuresis, activity level and management difficulties, and that of having an adult violent offence to recent-onset daytime enuresis, management difficulties and temper tantrums. The only other predictors of later convictions were the child's gender and social competence at age 3 years.
Conclusions: The presence of specific behaviour problems in the pre-school period places the child at increased risk of being convicted of an adult offence. Family and social circumstances at age 3 years did not predict later convictions.
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Published date: September 2001
Additional Information:
Developmental psychopathology papers, part 2
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Local EPrints ID: 18389
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/18389
ISSN: 0007-1250
PURE UUID: 78335373-3a05-4a00-9bce-21ecd4bd3423
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Date deposited: 06 Jan 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 06:04
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Author:
Robert Goodman
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