Childhood risk and protective factors for early desisters, late desisters and life-course persistent offenders

Abstract

The aim of this article is to investigate the extent to which childhood risk and protective factors predict later persistence or desistance in criminal careers, as it has been argued that childhood factors are not predictive. In the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, 411 London males have been followed up from age 8 to age 56. This article investigates age 8-10 risk and protective factors for 37 life-course-persistent offenders (first offense up to age 20, last offense at age 40 or later), 38 late desisters (first offense up to age 20, last offense at age 21-39), 50 early desisters (first and last offenses up to age 20), 41 late onset offenders (first offense at age 21 or later), and 227 nonoffenders. 18 males were excluded from the analysis because they were not at risk of a recorded conviction from age 40 onwards (because of death or emigration). The results showed that several childhood factors predicted persistence compared with desistance. Individual and school risk factors (e.g. low popularity and low school attainment) were the most important predictors of whether an offender up to age 20 persisted after this age or desisted. Family protective factors (e.g. good child-rearing and high parental interest in education) were most important in protecting offenders from becoming life-course-persistent offenders and encouraging desistance before age 40.

Adolescentes marroquíes en calle: Desprotección, delincuencia y victimización

“…Los programas de parentalidad positiva asumen que la calidad de la relación paternofilial facilita el aprendizaje del control sobre el comportamiento problemático o agresivo (Farrington, 2019). Estos programas, más que trabajar con la infancia, lo hacen directamente con las familias, a las que se les enseñan estrategias educativas y disciplinarias efectivas.…”

Unsuccessful life style in middle-aged official and self-reported types of offenders

“…A further search of the PNC was completed in 2011, when most males were aged 57 (Farrington, Piquero, & Jennings, 2013). The most recent PNC search was completed in April 2017, when it is likely that all offenses committed up to the end of August 2016 would have been recorded (Farrington, 2019a). Therefore, information is now available about all offenses committed up to age 61.99 (i.e.…”

“…In total, 178 males were convicted up to age 61 (44% of 409 at risk) with a total of 947 offenses, including 57 cautions (Farrington, 2019a). Convictions were only counted if they were for "standard list 5 " (more serious) offenses.…”

Examining the Factor Structure of a Risk Assessment Inventory in Young Offenders: FER-R, Risk and Resource Assessment Form

“…The study of social behavior during adolescence, and especially adolescent-offender evaluation, is a special challenge; it offers a window of opportunity to enhance their development and psychosocial well-being [ 1 ] and, likewise, allows us to recognize multiple variables involved in the onset and persistence of antisocial behaviors in this phase of the life cycle [ 2 ].…”