NCJ Number
137941
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 31 Issue: 4 Dated: (Autumn 1991) Pages: 327-346
Date Published
1991
Length
20 pages
Annotation
The issue of stability and change in criminal behavior was investigated using data for registered crime obtained in a Swedish longitudinal research project.
Abstract
A complete school grade cohort in a midland Swedish community was followed from 1965 when they were 10 years of age and in the third grade. Data on registered criminality were supplied by local police, social agencies, and child welfare authorities. Complementary information was supplied by the National Police Board. Both intelligence and socioeconomic status of the subjects were also assessed. Criminal activity among 709 males was investigated for three time periods: childhood up to 14 years, adolescence from 15 to 20 years, and early adulthood from 21 to 30 years. The Spearman correlation coefficient, reflecting the stability of registered criminal activity, was 0.40 between childhood and adolescence, 0.34 between childhood and early adulthood, and 0.38 between adolescence and early adulthood. Little specialization in criminal activity over time was revealed. Rather, a diversified crime pattern in early adulthood tended to be preceded by a spread of offenses over different crime types in adolescence. The small group of subjects who had committed offenses below age 15, during adolescence, and also in early adulthood were responsible for most of the crime recorded for the total research population. These persistent offenders constituted 5.4 percent of the total number of subjects, had 41 percent of all registered convictions, and participated in 62 percent of all registered crime. Overall, acquiring a record for early delinquency strongly predicted future crime. The relevance of the early onset of criminality for criminal behavior over the long term is discussed. 38 references, 8 tables, and 2 figures (Author abstract modified)