Developmental Risk Factors for Criminal Behaviour

Question 1

Early Life Risk Factors

Answer 1

Individual Risk Factors
Family Risk Factors
Social Risk Factors

Question 2

Individual Risk Factors

Answer 2

IQ
Self-Control

Question 3

Family Risk Factors

Answer 3

Broken Homes
Parental Supervison
Child Abuse

Question 4

Social Risk Factors

Answer 4

Poverty
Peer Relations

Question 5

IQ

Answer 5

the ability to reason, plan, solve problems… learn from experience
- Having a low IQ is a risk factor for the emergence and continuity of anti-social behaviour
- IQ is highly heritable by age 12.
- 85% of the variance for IQ is due to genetics
- the assocation between low IQ and criminality is even stronger with violent crimes and recidivism

Question 6

Self-Control

Answer 6

the ability to regulate and inhibit one’s behaviuor in the face of desires
- impulsivity is related to antisocial behaviour
- study of 1000 people in New Zealand from birth to 32 - those with the lowest levels of self control had the highest rates of criminal conviction in adulthood
- Improving self control in childhood reduces risk of reoffending later in life
- self-control in teachable

Question 7

Broken Homes

Answer 7

• Meta-analyses done between 1984 - 2005 found that children who come from ‘broken homes’ are more likely to commit crime

Question 8

Parental Supervision

Answer 8

• how much parents monitor their children and know their whereabouts and activities
• poor parental supervision is associated with criminal behaviour

Question 9

Child Abuse

Answer 9

-trauma in early increases risk of negative outcomes including criminality
- those exposed to child abuse are 40%-60% more likely to engage in criminal behaviour

Question 10

Poverty/ Income Inequality

Answer 10

• strong correlation between economic status and violent crimes
• strong correlation between income inequality and poverty
• poverty has been found to be associated with crimes such as robbery, theft and burglary

Question 11

Peer Relations

Answer 11

• early peer rejection is a strong risk factor for anti-social behaviour
• assocation with deviant peers increases risk of crime