NCJ Number
139707
Journal
Criminology Volume: 30 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1992) Pages: 501-523
Date Published
1992
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study assesses three distinct but related developmental questions: whether age of onset of criminal behavior has a causal impact on subsequent criminality, whether the determinants of onset vary with age, and whether the determinants of onset and continuation of offending differ in some respects.
Abstract
The analysis is based on longitudinal data collected for a cohort of 411 males from a working-class area of London, England. The data, gathered at 2-year intervals whenever possible, covers psychological characteristics, socialization variables, and family background. Data on criminal involvement was measured by convictions. The findings showed that the inverse association between age of onset and persistence of offending can be attributed to persistent heterogenity. Evidence that the determinants of onset vary with age or that determinants of onset and continuation of criminal behavior differ was mixed. While parental separation and the interaction of separation with criminal parents were related positively and negatively, respectively, to the probability of onset, these factors were not correlated with continuation of offending. Poor parenting skills was related with early onset, but had an insignificant association with late onset of criminality. These results indicate that criminal potential depends on both personal and parental factors. Second, the evidence of changes in the covariation of predictor factors and participation across onset status or age of onset was pronounced and not attributable to sampling variation. 4 tables, 11 notes, and 34 references