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Childhood Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity‐impulsivity, and Inattention as Predictors of Adult Criminal Activity
Author(s) -
Babinski Leslie M.,
Hartsough Carolyn S.,
Lambert Nadine M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/1469-7610.00452
Subject(s) - impulsivity , psychology , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , conduct disorder , poison control , injury prevention , clinical psychology , psychiatry , criminal record , developmental psychology , medicine , medical emergency , criminology
This study reconsiders the relationship of childhood Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and childhood conduct problems with adult criminal activity by clarifying the role of the cardinal behaviors associated with the DSM‐IV ADHD subtypes (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity). Since their childhood (average age 9 years), 230 male and 75 female subjects have been followed prospectively and were interviewed as young adults (average age 26 at follow‐up). Early childhood behavior ratings by parents and teachers were examined to determine the role of conduct problems, hyperactivity‐impulsivity, and inattention in predicting adult criminal involvement as measured by both official arrest records and self‐report. Results show that both hyperactivity‐impulsivity and early conduct problems independently, as well as jointly, predict a greater likelihood of having an arrest record for males, but not for females. For male subjects with 10 or more self‐reported crimes, both early conduct problems and hyperactivity‐impulsivity were significant predictors, both alone and in combination. Therefore, it appears that predominantly the symptoms of hyperactivity‐impulsivity, but not inattention, contribute to the risk for criminal involvement over and above the risk associated with early conduct problems alone.