Using data from a sample of 1,216 justice-involved male youth, this study identified distinct groups of youth with a “fast” versus “slow” life strategy, based on their scores on measures of sensation seeking, impulse control, future orientation, consideration of others, and suppression of aggression.
Life history theory has been used to understand how harsh and unpredictable environments contribute to risk behaviors. The theory suggests that exposure to negative environments leads individuals to adopt a “fast” life strategy, which is hypothesized to make individuals more likely to engage in risky behavior that is associated with immediate rewards. The current study used a logistic regression to test how various environmental factors predicted life-history strategy group membership. Having a fast strategy was associated with greater victimization, higher parental hostility, and lower quality of home environment. Growth-curve models were used to examine group differences in offending and aggression over 5 years. Youth with a fast life strategy engaged in more violent and non-violent offending, as well as more relational and physical aggression. Although there were significant decreases in these behaviors within both groups over the 5 years, these group differences remained consistent over time. (publisher abstract modified)