NCJ Number
241516
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2013 Pages: 139-155
Date Published
February 2013
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This research examines the familial concentration and transmission of crime in a sample of sibling pairs.
Abstract
Research has revealed that crime tends to concentrate in families and that it also tends to be transmitted across generational lines. The current study expanded on this line of research by examining the familial concentration and transmission of crime in a sample of sibling pairs. Analysis of data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) revealed that 5 percent of all families accounted for more than 50 percent of all criminal arrests. Additional analyses revealed between-sibling similarity and intergenerational transmission in being arrested, being sentenced to probation, being incarcerated, and being arrested multiple times. Structural equation models (SEMs) were also estimated to examine the mechanisms that might account for the familial concentration and transmission of crime. These SEMs provided evidence indicating that the concentration and transmission of crime was due, in part, to genetic factors as well as mating patterns. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.