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Are There Any Successful Men from Criminogenic Backgrounds?

NCJ Number
134003
Journal
Psychiatry Volume: 51 Dated: (May 1988) Pages: 116-130
Author(s)
D P Farrington; B Gallagher; L Morley; R J St Ledger; D J West
Date Published
1988
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The 63 "vulnerable but resilient" boys from criminogenic backgrounds who were followed from ages 8 to 10 to age 32 as part of the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development were studied to determine whether protective factors can be identified.
Abstract
Analyses essentially examined the extent to which the four outcome criteria of juvenile delinquency; juvenile recidivism; convictions up to age 32; and life success, that is, satisfactory social adjustment, at age 32 can be predicted by factors measured at ages 8 to 12. The more successful men were those who had few or no friends at age 8, who had been neurotic at age 10, who were without convicted parents or behavior problem siblings, those whose mothers had a high opinion of their sons, and those who did not spend their leisure time with their fathers. At ages 8 to 10, these boys already were better behaved and less daring than those subsequently judged to be unsuccessful men. A tendency emerged for shyness to act as a protective factor against delinquency for nonagressive boys, but as an aggravating factor for aggressive boys. 5 tables and 14 references