Temperamental and familial predictors of violent and nonviolent criminal convictions: Age 3 to age 18

Abstract

This study examined the relations between family characteristics, childhood temperament, and convictions for violent and nonviolent offenses at age 18 in a representative birth cohort of men who are part of a longitudinal study. Three groups of men were identified on the basis of their conviction status at age 18: Participants who had never been convicted (n = 404), participants who had been convicted for nonviolent offenses only (n = 50), and participants who had been convicted for violent offenses (n = 21). Multivariate analysis of variance and logistic regression analyses indicated that family factors were associated with both types of conviction outcomes, whereas childhood temperament was associated primarily with convictions for violent offenses. The potentially distinct roles of social- and self-regulation in the development of antisocial behavior are discussed.