Early Childhood Predictors of Life-Course-Persistent, Adolescence-Limited, and Late-Onset Offenders in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development

• In Event: Longitudinal and Life Course Perspectives on the Development of Psychopathy and Antisocial Behaviour

Abstract

Life-Course-Persistent (LCP) offenders should be defined according to a long criminal career duration, but they rarely have been. In the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, 411 London males have been followed up from age 8 to age 56, and 43% were convicted up to this latter age. LCP (N=48) were defined as those with a first offense up to age 20 and at least one other offense at age 30 or older. Adolescence-limited (AL) offenders (N=81) were defined as those with a first offense up to age 20 and a last offense before age 30. Late-onset (LO) offenders (N=42) were defined as those with a first offense at age 21 or older. Excluding 14 males who were not at risk of offending from age 30 because they died or emigrated, there were 226 nonoffenders (NO). The average age of onset was similar for LCP (15.4) and AL (15.8), but of course older for LO (32.7). The average criminal career duration was similar for AL (4.2 years) and LO (3.9 years), but of course much longer for LCP (29.9 years). The strongest age 8-10 predictors of LCP versus NO were a convicted parent, poor parental supervision, and a disrupted family. The strongest predictors of AL versus NO were high daring, poor housing, and a convicted parent. The strongest predictors of LO versus NO were a disrupted family, poor housing, and low school attainment. Poor parental supervision significantly predicted LCP versus AL, and poor housing significantly predicted AL versus LCP.

Authors

• David P. Farrington, Cambridge University

• Darrick Jolliffe, University of Greenwich

• Maria M. Ttofi, Cambridge University

• Alex R. Piquero, University of Texas at Dallas