Early Malnutrition Differentiates Unsuccessful from Successful Offenders

• In Event: Successful and Unsuccessful Criminal Offenders: Developmental and Biopsychosocial Processes.

Abstract

Although some initial research shows that childhood factors can predict “successful” offenders who self-report offenses but are not convicted, it is unknown whether nutritional deficiency early in life, which has been documented to be associated with increased risk of crime, differs between offenders who are successful and those who are unsuccessful by having been caught. This study tests the hypothesis that unsuccessful, rather than successful adult offenders exhibit this childhood risk factor for crime. Analyses were conducted on 878 participants in a birth cohort. Nutritional status was assessed at age 3 years, while unsuccessful and successful offender groups were determined based on self-report criminal activity at age 39 years and whether they had been questioned by police, arrested, or convicted at age 23 and age 39 years. Unsuccessful, but not successful adult offenders, had poorer nutrition at age 3 compared to non-criminal controls (p < .01) after controlling for sex, race, and number of self-report crime. The significant group difference was attenuated after controlling for executive function at age 11 years. Results suggest that malnutrition particularly characterizes unsuccessful offenders, which may be linked to reduced cognitive abilities that lead to a greater likelihood for detection and conviction.

Authors

• Olivia Choy, Nanyang Technological University

• Adrian Raine, University of Pennsylvania