Labelling and intergenerational transmission

• In Event: Antisocial Behaviour, Violence, and Offending Across the Life-Course

Abstract

Labelling theories proposes that people will act in accordance with the label attached to them by society and that their criminal activities will increase in frequency after a conviction. Children of convicted parents have a higher risk of conviction than children of non-convicted parents. What happens when children of criminal parents get convicted? Does the labelling mechanism also apply to their behaviour? Does a conviction not impact their behaviour or does it have a cumulative effect on their already increased chances of showing criminal behaviour? First, we examine whether an offspring conviction increases individuals’ offending behaviour. The impact of a conviction between ages 19-26 on self-reported offending between 27-32 was investigated while controlling for previous self-reported behaviour between 15-18. Second, we investigate the interaction between someone’s own conviction and whether he has a convicted parent. We investigate this using data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development.

Authors

• Sytske Besemer, University of California, Berkeley

• David P. Farrington, Cambridge University

• Catrien Bijleveld, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement