NCJ Number
177505
Journal
Criminal Behavior and Mental Health Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: 1999 Pages: 57-73
Date Published
1999
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study tested Moffitt's theory regarding age-related patterns of offending in a Swedish cohort of 7,101 males and 6,751 females.
Abstract
Noting that "the extant longitudinal data base does not provide a sound basis for conclusions" (Moffitt, 1993, P. 685) about the developmental trajectories of various types of offenders, Moffitt argues that this knowledge base will be extended and enriched by prospectively collected data from longitudinal investigations that include assessment of childhood problems at different points in time and that distinguish the "early-starter" and "adolescence-limited" offenders. The current study followed these recommendations and tested Moffitt's theory by using prospectively collected data for both males and females. Four groups of offenders were identified: stable early-starters (ES), adolescence-limited (AL), adult-starters (AS), and discontinuous offenders (DO). Information on childhood problems and patterns of offending was prospectively collected. Consistent with Moffitt's theory, ES offenders committed more crimes and a greater diversity of crimes than other offender groups. Childhood problems and low global scores of intelligence distinguished ES offenders from AL and AS offenders as well as non-offenders. The study concludes that Moffitt's typology of offenders apparently fits male offenders better than female offenders; for example, among females, AS, not ES, offenders were responsible for the largest proportion of crimes, and childhood variables played a role in AL offending. Inconsistent with Moffitt's theory, ES males and females were convicted of more offenses than AL offenders during adolescence, and ES males obtained lower scores on numeric and spatial as well as verbal subtests of intelligence. 1 table, 4 notes, and 41 references