PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF PREDICTORS OF CRIMINALITY, 4 SCHOOL BEHAVIOR (FROM BIOSOCIAL BASES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, 1977, BY SARNOFF A MEDNICK AND KARL O CHRISTIANSEN - SEE NCJ-47285)

• NCJ Number: 47296
• Author(s): L KIRKEGAARD-SORENSEN; S A MEDNICK
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH 19225; MH 24872; MH 25311
• Sponsoring Agency: Northeastern Family Institute, Inc.
• Corporate Author: Gardner Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SCHOOL TEACHERS ON BEHAVIOR OF SUBJECTS PRIOR TO ANY REGISTERED CRIMINALITY IS CORRELATED WITH HIGH- AND LOW-RISK SUBJECTS WHO LATER EVIDENCED CRIMINALITY.

Abstract

A SAMPLE OF 311 DANISH CHILDREN, 207 CHILDREN WITH SCHIZOPHRENIC MOTHERS AND CONSIDERED HIGH-RISK AND 104 CONTROL CHILDREN WITH NO HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN THEIR FAMILIES AND CONSIDERED LOW-RISK, WERE THE SUBJECTS OF THE STUDY. TEACHER REPORTS ON THE SUBJECTS CONSISTED OF 27 QUESTIONS COVERING A BROAD SPECTRUM OF SCHOOL BEHAVIOR RELATING TO PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, THE SUBJECTS WERE APPRAISED PRIOR TO ANY MANIFESTATION OF CRIMINALITY, WITH THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE SUBJECTS BEING 15.1 YEARS OF AGE. THIRTEEN YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETING OF THE TEACHERS' REPORTS, THE SUBJECTS WERE SURVEYED TO DETERMINE THE EXISTENCE OF ANY REGISTERED CRIMINALITY. IT WAS FOUND THAT 7 LOW-RISK AND 32 HIGH-RISK MALES HAD EXPERIENCED AT LEAST 1 COURT CONVICTION. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE NUMBER OF HIGHER SOCIAL CLASS INDIVIDUALS IN THE NONCRIMINAL GROUP (WHICH WAS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE CRIMINAL GROUP), 6 HIGH-SOCIAL-CLASS, HIGH-RISK NONCRIMINALS AND 20 HIGH-SOCIAL-CLASS, LOW-RISK NONCRIMINALS WERE DROPPED FROM THE ANALYSIS. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT ADOLESCENTS WHO LATER COMMIT CRIMINAL ACTS ARE SEEN BY THEIR TEACHERS EITHER AS OVERTLY AGGRESSIVE, DISTURBING, DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS, OR PASSIVE. THEY GENERALLY PERFORM POORLY IN SCHOOL AND EVIDENCE LITTLE DILIGENCE. IT IS NOTED THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL IMPORTANT FACTORS WHICH SHARPLY LIMIT THE POSSIBILITIES OF GENERALIZING FROM THIS SAMPLE TO THE WIDER CRIMINAL COMMUNITY. THE MOTHERS OF THE SUBJECTS OF ONE OF THE SUBSAMPLES ARE SEVERELY SCHIZOPHRENIC; THE CONTROL SAMPLE IS UNUSUAL IN THAT IT IS COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUALS WITH PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR MENTAL ILLNESS; AND IN THE CASE OF BOTH SUBSAMPLES, THE FATHERS HAVE UNUSUALLY HIGH LEVELS OF CRIMINALITY. IT IS CONSIDERED STRIKING, HOWEVER, THAT DESPITE THE PECULIARITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF THESE TWO SUBSAMPLES, CRIMINALITY PARALLELS THE BEHAVIOR REPORTED IN OTHER THE SCHOOL BEHAVIOR OF THOSE WHO LATER EVIDENCE SIMILAR STUDIES. TABLES OF DATA AND RESULTS ARE INCLUDED. FOR RELATED PAPERS, SEE NCJ 47293-47296 AND 47297. (RCB)