NCJ Number
129908
Date Published
1989
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Information from 113 Swedish Children followed from birth to maturity was used to test the idea that children whose gender did not agree with the gender preference expressed prenatally by their parents would be more likely to become involved in delinquent behavior than would children whose sex matched the parents' stated preference.
Abstract
The participants were part of a sample of 212 children born during the years 1955-58 who were prospectively studied by the Clinic for the Study of Children's Development and Health at Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm. The sample was found to be representative of Swedish urban children. Approximately 1-2 months before each child's birth, the mothers were asked which sex they and their husband preferred. One hundred and thirteen couples expressed clear and identical gender preferences. Followup data showed the prevalence of officially recorded delinquency through age 20 to be about twice as great for children whose parents had wanted a child of the opposite sex than for children whose sex was consistent with parents' preferences. This finding held for both males and females. Table, figure, and 16 references (Author abstract modified)