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Antisocial Propensity, Adolescent School Outcomes, and the Risk of Criminal Conviction
Author(s) -
Savolainen Jukka,
Hughes Lorine A.,
Mason W. Alex,
Hurtig Tuula M.,
Ebeling Hanna,
Moilanen Irma K.,
Kivivuori Janne,
Taanila Anja M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of research on adolescence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.342
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1532-7795
pISSN - 1050-8392
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2011.00754.x
Subject(s) - conviction , psychology , criminal conviction , propensity score matching , confounding , developmental psychology , juvenile delinquency , criminology , medicine , political science , law , pathology
Data from the 1986 N orthern F inland B irth C ohort S tudy ( n = 4,645) were used to examine the influence of mid‐adolescent (age 15) school outcomes on late‐adolescent (ages 17–19) risk of criminal conviction. Consistent with social‐developmental theories of offending, we found that poor academic performance and reduced school attachment increase the risk of criminal conviction independently of pre‐existing differences in antisocial propensity and other confounding factors identified in prior research. Moreover, in support of an integrated model, our research suggests that academic performance and school attachment mediate the effects of childhood antisociality and learning difficulties on late‐adolescent risk of criminal conviction. The implications of findings for policy and future research are discussed.