NCJ Number
52128
Date Published
1978
Length
21 pages
Annotation
RELATIONSHIP AMONG AGRESSIVENESS, VIOLENT DELINQUENCY, AND FAMILY BACKGROUND ARE EXPLORED IN A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 411 BOYS FROM A DENSELY POPULATED WORKING CLASS AREA OF LONDON, ENGLAND.
Abstract
THE YOUTHS WERE STUDIED OVER A 14-YEAR PERIOD, BEGINNING WHEN THEY WERE 8 YEARS OLD. THE BOYS COMPLETED BATTERIES OF TESTS PERIODICALLY, AND INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH THEIR PARENTS AND TEACHERS. INFORMATION WAS ALSO OBTAINED FROM CRIMINAL, SOCIAL, AND MEDICAL RECORDS. MEASURES OF AGGRESSIVENESS WERE DERIVED FROM TEACHERS' ASSESSMENTS OF THE YOUTHS AND FROM THE YOUTHS' ASSESSMENTS OF THEMSELVES. IN ADDITION, A GROUP OF 25 VIOLENT DELINQUENTS AMONG THE SAMPLE WAS IDENTIFIED. THE DATA ON THE SUBJECTS COVER SOCIAL BACKGROUND, FAMILY ENVIRONMENT, PERSONALITY, PHYSICAL CONDITION, AND INTELLIGENCE AND ATTAINMENT. THE VIOLENT DELINQUENTS, MOST OF WHOSE VIOLENT OFFENSES OCCURRED AT AGE 17 OR 18, TENDED TO BE AMONG THE MORE AGGRESSIVE YOUTHS FROM AGE 8 ON. AT AGE 8 TO 10, THEY TENDED TO HAVE COLD, HARSH, DISHARMONIOUS, POORLY SUPERVISING, AND CRIMINAL PARENTS. THEY ALSO TENDED TO HAVE RELATIVELY LOW IQ'S (INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENTS) AND TO BE RATED DARING. THEY WERE MORE LIKELY THAN NONVIOLENT DELINQUENTS TO HAVE COLD, HARSH PARENTS. MANY OF THE BACKGROUND FACTORS CHARACTERISTIC OF VIOLENT DELINQUENTS ALSO WERE CHARACTERISTIC OF YOUTHS WHO WERE RATED AGGRESSIVE AT AGE 8 TO 10 AND AT LATER AGES. SOME OF THE FACTORS, PARTICULARLY CRIMINALITY OF PARENTS AND MARITAL DISHARMONY BETWEEN PARENTS PREDICTED THE EMERGENCE OF AGGRESSIVENESS AT AGE 16 TO 18. ONE INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS IS THAT FACTORS WHICH PREDISPOSE CHILDREN TO AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR ALSO TEND TO PREDISPOSE YOUNG ADULTS TO CRIMINAL VIOLENCE. THE FINDINGS AGREE WITH AMERICAN STUDIES INDICATING THAT AGGRESSIVE CHILDREN DEVELOP IN COLD, HARSH, DISHARMONIOUS FAMILIES. THE STUDIES ALSO AGREE IN THEIR INDICATION THAT AGGRESSION IS A SOMEWHAT STABLE PERSONALITY TRAIT, AT LEAST BETWEEN AGES 8 AND 18. THE FINDINGS ALSO POINT TO THE INDEPENDENT IMPORTANCE OF CERTAIN OTHER FACTORS, MOST NOTABLY POOR SUPERVISION, LOW IQ, AND CRIMINALITY OF PARENTS. IT IS NOTED THAT, IN ORDER TO TEST THEORIES ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGGRESSIVENESS AND ABOUT THE CAUSES OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN AND CRIMINAL VIOLENCE IN ADULTS, IT IS NECESSARY TO SUPPLEMENT LONG-TERM STUDIES WITH SMALL SCALE OBSERVATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT INCLUDED)