Adult-Onset Antisocial Behavior Trajectories

Abstract

Guided by conceptual and empirical work on emerging adulthood, this study investigated the role of closeness to mother and father and behavioral autonomy during adolescence on the development of adult-onset antisocial behavior. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we identified four aggressive (abstainer, adolescent-limited, adult-onset, chronic) and three nonaggressive (adolescent-limited, adult-onset, chronic) trajectories. Members of the aggressive adult-onset trajectory reported higher levels of paternal closeness during adolescence compared to the members of the aggressive chronic trajectory. Maternal closeness and behavioral autonomy did not differentially predict trajectory membership. In addition, members of the adult-onset trajectories were less likely to be employed or in a romantic relationship and reported decreased physical health during emerging adulthood compared to members of all other trajectories.

Adult-Onset Offending: A Neglected Reality? Findings From a Contemporary British General Population Cohort

“…Similar to some studies (Mata & van Dulmen, 2012; Note. Differences in the total number of each group (i.e., early-onset, adult-onset, and non-offenders) between tables are due to missing data.…”

“…These findings contradict results by Mata and van Dulmen (2012), who found, using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in the United States, that 13% of the sample reported offending in adulthood only (although the study by Mata and van Dulmen used trajectory analysis to track changes from low to high levels of antisocial behaviour rather than change from a completely non-criminal to a criminal pathway).…”

The influence of parents and schools on developmental trajectories of antisocial behaviors in Caucasian and African American youths

“…Existing studies of ASB that have included African American subgroups have largely been cross-sectional (e.g., Bernat, Oakes, Pettingell, & Resnick, 2012;Connell, Cook, Aklin, Vanderploegg, & Brex, 2011;Cook, Pflieger, Connell, & Connell, 2015) and have yielded inconsistent findings in cases in which longitudinal data were examined. For instance, Mata and van Dulmen (2012) analyzed three waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), which consisted of 59% Caucasian, 14% African American, 7% Asian, 6% Hispanic, and 14% "other" youths followed into early adulthood (N = 5,579). They found evidence for four trajectories of aggressive ASB from adolescence to early adulthood: an abstainers group, which had consistently low levels of ASB (60.0%); an AL group, which had high levels of ASB during mid-adolescence, but decreased into early adulthood (20.3%); an adult-onset group, which had low ASB during adolescence but increased ASB at early adulthood (13.0%); and a chronic group, which had the highest levels of ASB across development, but slightly declined in ASB over time (6.7%).…”

Adult-onset offenders: Is a tailored theory warranted?

“…Some evidence has indicated that ending a marital relationship contributes to adult-onset crime (Kivivuori & Linderborg, 2010). Other research has shown that adult-onset offenders were generally less likely to be in a romantic relationship (Mata & van Dulmen, 2012). …”

“…Official adult-onset offenders may perceive weak informal social control during adulthood, which increases their risk for apprehension and conviction for crime. Research has shown that late-onset crime is related to loss of or mild informal sanctions (Kivivuori & Linderborg, 2010; Mata & van Dulmen, 2012; Sampson & Laub, 1993; Zara & Farrington, 2010). …”