Temperamental and Familial Predictors of Criminal Conviction

Abstract

Recent research from the Dunedin (New Zealand) Health and Development Study has identified several childhood risk factors associated with antisocial behavior. For example, Henry, Moffitt, Robins, Earls, and Silva (1993) identified eight family characteristics (e.g., number of changes in primary caregiver experienced by the child, number of residence changes occurring in the child’s life, parental authoritarianism) which were associated with childhood antisocial behavior. In the same data set, Caspi, Henry, McGee, Moffitt and Silva (1995) identified a temperamental dimension among 3 and 5 year old subjects, labelled Lack of Control, which was found to be associated with teacher and parent reports of externalizing behavior problems assessed between the ages of 9 and 15.

The current study used the eight family characteristics identified by Henry et al. (1993) and the Lack of Control dimension identified by Caspi et al. (1995) to address two questions: 1.) What is the joint contribution of these variables to antisocial behavior? and 2.) do the relations between these variables and antisocial behavior differ as a function of the nature of the antisocial behavior?