U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Child Behavior and Adult Personality: Comparisons Between Criminality Groups in Finland and Sweden

NCJ Number
186828
Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: 2000 Pages: 155-169
Author(s)
Lea Pulkkinen; Terhi Virtanen; Britt af Klinteberg; David Magnusson
Date Published
2000
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Using longitudinal data, adult personality and childhood behaviors were examined for groups of non-criminals and criminals of Finnish (n=268) and Swedish (n=169) samples, and crime groups were compared in the two cultures.
Abstract
Karolinska Scales of Personality were administered at adult age, and the participants had been observed and rated by their teachers regarding behavior in childhood (at age 8 years and 13 years, respectively). Male offenders with alcohol problems (Finnish and Swedish) had significantly higher scores on psychopathy-related personality traits in adulthood than other subgroups, as indicated by higher impulsivity, muscular tension, and lower socialization. They also displayed higher scores on teacher-rated aggressiveness in childhood than the non-criminal groups. The female subgroup that displayed criminal activity was small. It did not differ significantly from non-offenders in adult personality characteristics. Female offenders, however, showed early indications of lower sociability (in Finland) and higher aggressiveness and disharmony in childhood than non-offenders (in Sweden). The study suggests that early problem behaviors are precursors of subsequent criminal activity in at least two cultures. The results emphasize the importance of longitudinal research programs. 3 tables, 1 figure, and 50 references