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Antisocial Behaviour and Postnatal Environment: A French Adoption Study
Author(s) -
Duyme M.
Publication year - 1990
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.1469-7610.1990.tb00811.x
Subject(s) - psychology , rutter , developmental psychology , social class , antisocial personality disorder , social environment , injury prevention , poison control , medicine , environmental health , political science , law
The higher rate of antisocial behaviour in children from lower class environments has been hypothesized as arising from (a) genetic social class differences and/or (b) cultural/environmental disadvantages. The present study aims to evaluate the strength of the incidence of social class on adolescent antisocial behaviour. To separate genetic factors and the prenatal environment from postnatal rearing conditions, 77 children relinquished at birth and adopted before the age of 3 were studied. Using the Rutter “Children's Behaviour Questionnaire for Completion by Teachers”, eight antisocial behaviours were assessed when subjects were in late adolescence. With the exception of theft and bullying, results indicate that the higher the adoptive parental social class, the lower the antisocial behaviour rates in the adoptees. It is shown that the relationship between the total score of adoptees' antisocial behaviour and social class cannot be attributed exclusively to a concentration of these behaviours in the lowest class. No significant selective placement was observed. Concordances and discrepancies with previous studies are discussed