NCJ Number
209969
Journal
Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 21 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 219-243
Date Published
June 2005
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This study sought to replicate and extend previous research findings on the link between adolescent and adult criminality.
Abstract
Previous criminological research found that variations in adult offending patterns were consistent with a random process after conditioning for adolescent offending behavior. The current study examined the robustness of this link between adult and adolescent criminality by analyzing the link across data sources and genders. Data were drawn from the Dunedin, New Zealand 1972 birth cohort study of all children born at Dunedin’s Queen Mary Hospital between April 1972 and March 1973 (N=985). The analysis focused on stability and change in criminal offending between the adolescent and adult years with particular attention paid to the distribution of adolescent and adult convictions and whether the structure of this distribution differed by gender. Results of Poisson regression analyses indicated that the variation in adult offending was consistent with a random process after conditioning on adolescent offending. The pattern was observed for both males and females. The findings thus suggest that for both males and females, adult criminal behavior is strongly linked to adolescent experiences. Future research should include longer follow-up periods and higher risk samples. Tables, figure, references