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BOYHOOD BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS AS PRECURSORS OF CRIMINALTY: A FIFTEEN‐YEAR FOLLOW‐UP STUDY
Author(s) -
Mitchell Sheila,
Rosa Peter
Publication year - 1981
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/j.1469-7610.1981.tb00528.x
Subject(s) - psychology , conviction , lying , developmental psychology , medicine , political science , law , radiology
SUMMARY Material gathered in 1961 as pail of a large scale Sample survey of the behaviour of school age children has been used to select a group of boys whose behaviour deviated most from that typical of other boys of their age. Their subsequent convictions for indictable (major) offences have been ascertained over a fifteen year period together with those for a matched control group originally exhibiting “normal” behaviour. Findings show those in the deviator group to be significantly more likely both to become offenders and to become recidivists. Qualitatively, parental reports of anti‐ social behaviour.(stealing, lying, destructiveness and wandering from home) were shown to carry the worst prognosis for subsequent conviction(s) particularly where teachers' reports supported those of the parents. The practical and theoretical implications of the study are discussed.