Effects of early prevention programs on adult criminal offending: A meta-analysis
Research Highlights
► Early prevention programs have only modest effect on crime in adulthood. ► Effects on positive outcomes are larger and more consistent than effects on crime. ► Children who were more at-risk and those from a lower SES benefit more. ► Shorter, intensive programs with focus on behavioral skills produce larger effects.
Section snippets
Selection of studies
The primary search method involved inspection of the electronic databases Web of Science, PsycINFO, ERIC, PubMed, Sociological abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts, OPENSIGLE, and USA Government publications Office, Monthly Catalog. The literature search included all studies published before February 2010. The following key words were used for searching in varying combinations: “delinquency,” “antisocial behavior,” “offending,” “crime,” “violence,” “conduct problems,” “conduct disorder,”
Literature search
Our initial database search resulted in 3376 hits. After removing duplicates, 2370 articles remained. By searching bibliographies and websites of prevention programs an additional 30 articles were found. Titles of these references were read and 592 potentially relevant articles were selected for subsequently reading the abstract. Based upon their abstracts, 93 articles were selected for which the full text article was retrieved. After carefully checking these articles against eligibility
Discussion
The central question addressed in the present meta-analysis was whether (early) childhood programs can prevent involvement in crime in adulthood. Despite the commonly held belief that early interventions produce long-lasting beneficial effects, only a small number of empirical studies actually tested long-term effects of such programs. This meta-analysis encompasses studies that examined only nine programs, but these studies are, to the best of our knowledge, all the available evidence
Conclusion
Taken together, results of this meta-analysis indicate that early prevention programs can help put children on a more positive developmental trajectory, but there is still no convincing evidence that they can prevent adult crime. It should be kept in mind that this conclusion is based on a limited number of studies. The studies included in the present meta-analysis are truly unique in their effort to follow the participants for such a long period of time. The follow-up assessments of the
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Parent training programs for preventing and treating antisocial behavior in children and adolescents: A comprehensive meta-analysis of international studies
2023, Aggression and Violent BehaviorCitation Excerpt :Even more intensive approaches such as early intervention or early education programs, which have been used mostly to promote the development of young children at risk, fail to be more successful. Some of these projects have been studied in extended long-term evaluations that also found low or non-significant effect sizes (see Deković et al., 2011). In addition, the most intensive and combined approaches delivered within a cross-linked system of help such as the Community That Cares (CTC) approach recently found no long-term effects on ASB and crime on a community level (Fagan et al., 2019; Rhew et al., 2016).
Factors that influence parent recruitment into prevention programs in early childhood: A mixed studies systematic review
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2018, Behaviour Research and TherapyFactors that influence parent recruitment into prevention programs in early childhood: A concept map of parents’ practitioners’ and administrators’ points of view
2018, Children and Youth Services ReviewCitation Excerpt :There are numerous studies on behavior problem prevention programs offered to at-risk families in early childhood. The effectiveness of several of these programs is well established (Camilli, Vargas, Ryan, & Barnett, 2010; Dekovic et al., 2011; Furlong et al., 2012). Indeed, many studies show that it is by improving parenting practices that behavior problems can be prevented, by, for example, improving inter-family communication, discipline, as well as parent-child interactions (Besnard, Houle, Letarte, & Blackburn-Maltais, 2013; Kaminski, Valle, Filene, & Boyle, 2008).
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