Trajectories Of Delinquency Research Articles

Understanding the role of parental warmth and its association with developmental trajectories of delinquency across cultures.

Despite previous research delving into the trajectories of delinquency during adolescence and their links to parental warmth, there remains a notable gap in understanding cultural differences in these trajectories and associated factors. This study sought to address this gap by examining and comparing the levels and trajectories of delinquency, along with their association with parental warmth, between the United States and South Korea. The study included American adolescents (N = 5,665) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) at Wave I (1995), II (1996), and III (2001) and Korean adolescents (N = 3,449) selected from the Korean Youth Panel Survey at Wave I (2003), II (2004), and VI (2008). The participants, including both adolescent boys and girls at the age of 14/15 at Wave I, completed surveys at each wave. Results from latent growth curves showed that delinquency levels peaked in middle adolescence and declined thereafter in both countries. The initial level of delinquency was higher for American adolescents than for Korean adolescents, however, the slope of delinquency declined faster for American adolescents than for Korean adolescents. Further, the protective effect of parental warmth on delinquency was stronger for Korean adolescents than for American adolescents. The cultural differences in the levels and trajectories of delinquency, along with the different strengths of the protective effect of parental warmth, highlight the importance of considering cultural contexts in understanding delinquency trajectories and the protective role of parental warmth against delinquency.

“I’ll Choose My Own Way”: Delinquent Girls and Boys in Search of Gender Hegemony

This article analyzes juvenile delinquency through the concept of “gender projects.” It argues that delinquency makes the embodiment of specific masculinities and femininities possible, and thereby contributes to “gender achievement” (or “gender accomplishment”). Drawing on in-depth interviews conducted with Swiss juvenile offenders and using Raewyn Connell’s (1987, 1995) notion of “hegemonic masculinity,” this article examines “gender projects” that boys and girls pursue through a variety of offenses and trajectories in the criminal justice system. By inscribing the youth’s delinquent trajectories in social space and by paying attention to the intersection of power relations they face, this article discusses how delinquency can be a tactic to sustain, produce or overcome gender hegemony.

Developmental Trajectories and Predictors of Delinquent Peer Association

ABSTRACT Although the important relationship between age and peers is well-known, relatively little empirical attention has focused on heterogeneous patterns of deviant peer association over time. In light of this, the current study assessed developmental trajectories of peer delinquency and examined criminological factors that explain such patterns. Five waves of data from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS) were analyzed through group-based trajectory modeling. Results identified six delinquent peer trajectory groups and revealed that juveniles are likely to associate with peers with similar levels of criminal propensity (such as self-control and early onset of delinquency), but this relationship was also influenced by unstructured socialization. Such findings suggest that the nature of delinquent peer association is complex and shaped by a range of factors which require comprehensive examination. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Functions of parenting styles on patterns of general and serious delinquency trajectories: A mediated model of school climates and delinquent peer association

IntroductionThis study partially tests Agnew’s (2005, 2011) general theory of crime and delinquency, drawing out the differential roles of parenting, constraints, and motivations when comparing general delinquency trajectories and serious delinquency trajectories. MethodsUsing data from a 7-year follow-up study of 927 South Korean male adolescents, the study incorporates a group-based trajectory modeling to identify subgroups, each having a unique pattern of trajectories, respectively. ResultsThe models yielded 3 subgroups: Early onset & decreaser, Increaser & late peak, and Normative for general delinquency as well as Serious delinquent, Moderate delinquents, and Normative for serious delinquency. The results reveal that compared to Normative group, parenting styles were significant of both the Moderate and Serious delinquents groups for only serious delinquency even after controlling for constraints and motivations. The odds of belonging to both the Early-Onset & Decreaser and Increaser & Late Peak groups for general delinquency and the Moderate Delinquents group for serious delinquency were significantly higher for those who more frequently associated with delinquent peers. Depression was significant among members of the Early-Onset & Decreaser group, while school connectedness was significant among members of the Increaser & Late Peak group for general delinquency. There were no mediating role of constraints and motivations in the parent-delinquency prediction. ConclusionsIntervention programs aimed at improving parenting skills can be developed to decrease the likelihood of delinquency.

A longitudinal study of depressive symptoms and delinquency among Chinese left-behind children

This study sought to identify the developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms and delinquency in Chinese left-behind children (LBC) over a three-year period, a topic that is less often studied. Overall, 578 Chinese LBC (Mage= 10.63 years; boys = 53.1%) were tested three times on their depressive symptoms and delinquency from grades four through six. Unconditional latent growth modeling revealed no linear change in LBC's depressive symptoms, whereas there was a linear decrease over time in LBC's delinquency. Multiple-group models revealed that the pattern of change in LBC's delinquency differed across parental migration status and gender. Moreover, mother-only migration LBC showed higher initial depressive symptoms and initial delinquency levels than father-only migration LBC. The results provided a more accurate developmental picture by charting patterns of stability and change among Chinese LBC's depressive symptoms and delinquency in the context of parental migration.

신체학대 및 가정폭력의 중복발생과 아동의 비행궤적의 관계연구

본 연구는 아동의 비행궤적에 대한 신체학대 및 가정폭력의 중복발생의 영향력을 확인하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 이를 위해 한국복지패널의 아동부가조사의 1, 4, 7차 년도 자료를 사용하여, 총 497명을 대상으로 잠재성장분석을 진행하였다. 연구결과, 비행경험은 아동이 성장함에 따라 감소하는 경향이 있었으며, 아동 개인 간 비행경험의 차이는 상당하였다. 또한 신체학대와 가정폭력의 중복발생은 비행궤적과 관련이 있었다. 특히 신체학대 및 가정폭력이 중복으로 발생하는 가정의 경우, 시간이 지날수록 비행경험이 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 본 연구는 실천적, 정책적 함의를 논하였다.

Gender-specific Trajectories of Maltreatment, School Engagement, and Delinquency: The Protective Role of School Engagement

ABSTRACT Despite the link between child maltreatment and delinquency has been well-established, relatively few studies have examined gender differences in the protective role of school factors that attenuates delinquency for adolescents who reported child maltreatment. This study aimed to examine gender-specific trajectories of child maltreatment, school engagement, and delinquency with a framework of life course perspectives. It also examined the protective role of school engagement trajectory on delinquency over time by gender. A total of 348 adolescents who reported maltreatment experiences in a nationally representative sample from the Korea Welfare Panel study with three waves was examined using latent growth models. The results revealed that males experienced neglect, physical and emotional abuse significantly more than females at baseline, but this significance disappeared as females’ experience increased with age. Being male decreased initial level of school engagement at baseline, which also increased initial level of delinquency, but being male increased the growth rate of school engagement over time, which also decreased the growth rate of delinquency. Females who experienced maltreatment rapidly dropped school engagement without increasing delinquency. Sexual abuse, neglect, and multiple types of maltreatment experiences also fit the model. Implication of the findings for females and males were different and discussed.

Les traits pré-psychopathiques chez l’enfant et l’adolescent : aspects développementaux, structuraux et étiopathogéniques

In recent years, the number of publications related to the extension, expression and identification of psychopathic traits in children and adolescents has increased steadily. The status of these personality facets is the subject of heated debate in the international literature, which tends to question the theoretical and empirical foundations of a transposition of the components of the construction of psychopathy in childhood. This review therefore aims to draw up a synthetic and critical overview of the conceptual positions and scientific findings that justify the relevance as well as the therapeutic and preventive interests of early consideration of certain behavioral, affective and relational specificities indicating a possible pre-psychopathic organization. The aim of this article is to discuss the developmental anchorage of psychopathic manifestations, to present works relating to their evaluation and measurement in children and adolescents, as well as theoretical modelling around the structure and semiological and phenotypical expression of pre-psychopathic dimensions. This will then lead us to emphasize the evidence for the stability and persistence of psychopathic features through the years, as well as their emotional and moral correlates. Finally, we will discuss some etiological considerations before concluding on the predictive value of these personality traits in trajectories of aggressiveness and delinquency, but also in the context of prognosis of the evolution of conduct disorder symptomatology.

Modeling the Reciprocal Relationships Between Group-Based Developmental Trajectories of Peer Delinquency and Self-Reported Delinquency During Adolescence: An Application of Interactional Theory

This study examines whether one’s own delinquency and peer delinquency are reciprocally related and how prior delinquency and bonding variables influence peer delinquency trajectories. Using data from a 6-year follow-up study of 2,351 Korean adolescents, the study incorporates a group-based model to identify subgroups, each having a unique pattern of peer delinquency trajectories. The models yielded three subgroups: the early-onset and declining, the late-onset, and the nonoffending groups. The results reveal that compared with the nonoffending group, prior delinquency was significant for both the early-onset and decreasing and late-onset groups. Membership in the early-onset and decreasing group was associated with a greater likelihood of prior delinquency compared with the late-onset group. Commitment to school rule differentiated the early-onset and decreasing group from the nonoffending group, and partially mediated the effect of prior delinquency. The late-onset group members reported the highest probability of later delinquent behavior among the three groups.

A longitudinal examination of the overlap between victimization and delinquency trajectories from a South Korean perspective

•The results revealed four distinct trajectories of delinquency and victimization, respectively.•The dual trajectory models demonstrate substantial overlap between victimization and delinquency among Korean adolescents.•Low self-control and peer delinquency show the consistent significance for distinguishing trajectory groups.

Links between adverse childhood experiences, psychopathological symptoms and recidivism risk in juvenile delinquents

Research in the field of developmental psycho-criminology shows that conduct disorders and deviant behaviours are frequently associated with traumatic and adverse developmental experiences. Personality traits and psychopathological symptoms also increase the risk of criminality. However, the role of psychopathological symptoms in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and offending has rarely been researched. The present study was designed to throw further light on these issues by analysing risk factors in a group of adolescents and young adults in a juvenile detention centre in southern Italy. Results support the idea that the accumulation of risk factors is a major factor in recidivism and highlight the key role played by the contexts and emotional environments in which children and adolescents grow up. They also underline the link between paternal antipathy and hostile behaviours and the potential impact of paternal antipathy and hostility on triggering delinquent trajectories. Our study’s main limitations are its small sample size and the absence of longitudinal measures. Nevertheless, combining detailed measures of a wide variety of factors with risk assessments drawn up by professionals who work with young offenders provided insights into the most suitable interventions for young delinquents. More precisely, because young offenders are victims of adverse childhood experiences as well as perpetrators of delinquent acts, interventions aimed at changing their life courses must adopt a global perspective that encompasses both their personal characteristics and their family circumstances, in order to provide an external environment conducive to non-recidivism.

"If you don't have an education, you are no one": Understanding the School Experiences of Youth Involved in Drug-Related Crime in Ciudad Juárez and Medellín

The relation between being out of school and participating in criminal economies is widely documented in the literature on youth delinquency. However, the complex connection between these two phenomena has not yet been fully unpacked. This paper draws from two studies that we, the authors, conducted separately to explore the role educational experiences play in shaping the delinquent trajectories of male youth who participate in the drug business in urban centers located in Mexico and Colombia. The first consists of in-depth interviews and surveys conducted in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, while the second is based on long-term ethnographic engagement in Medellín, Colombia. We provide unique insights into the educational experiences of this hard-to-reach population and find that economic hardship does not wholly explain why these young people leave school and engage in delinquent activities. These youth do not "drop out" of school in search of money; rather, they are "pushed out" by a vicious cycle of stigmatization, segregation, punishment, and exclusion. By exploring these dynamics in two cities that have waged long drug wars, this article furthers understanding of the nexus between crime-related violence and educational experiences, thus making an important contribution to the field of education in emergencies.

Trajectories of delinquency among young adult prisoners

Using latent class growth analysis, this prospective longitudinal study aimed to identify different trajectories of delinquency among prisoners ( N = 2352) of youth correctional facilities. Criminal behaviour was monitored with crime register data on individuals from ages 14 to 25. Analyses revealed four developmental pathways: early- and late-starting desisters (31.8 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively) and early- and late-starting persisters (21.2 percent and 41.8 percent, respectively). The effects of potential risk and protective factors from multiple domains (individual, family, peer and social factors) were analysed with analyses of variance and χ² tests for each of the distinct trajectory groups. The quantity of risk factors was higher throughout the observation period in the persisting groups. Cumulative disadvantages could often be found in the persistent trajectories when low social bonds and low commitment to social norms persisted until (early) adulthood. Similarly, higher social capital and social competencies were more prevalent among offenders who desisted from crime, regardless of the severity of their offences committed as adolescents.

청소년의 성별과 온 · 오프라인 비행발달궤적에 따른 잠재집단 분류 및 사회유대요인의 예측력 탐색 -잠재계층성장분석(LCGA)을 이용한 종단연구-

최근 청소년 비행은 질적 심화 현상과 온ㆍ오프라인을 망라하는 특성을 나타내고 있어 비행영역에 대한 포괄적 접근이 제기된다. 또한 청소년 비행은 이후 성인기 적응에도 악영향을 미치므로 비행발달궤적을 고려한 장기적인 접근이 요구된다. 또한 청소년 비행은 유형, 원인 등에 있어 성차가 보고된다. 이에 본 연구는 청소년의 성별과 온 · 오프라인 비행발달궤적에 따른 잠재집단을 탐색하고 사회유대요인의 잠재집단 예측력을 살펴보았다. 본 연구는 한국아동ㆍ청소년패널조사(KCYPS) 중학교 1학년 패널의 2차-6차년도까지의 종단자료를 분석에 사용하였다(N = 1,483). 비행발달궤적에 따른 잠재집단을 도출하기 위해 잠재계층성장분석을 사용하였고, 사회유대요인의 잠재집단 예측력을 살펴보기 위해 다항로지스틱 회귀분석을 실시하였다. 주요결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 남자 청소년은 여자 청소년 보다 높고 다양한 수준의 비행 양상을 보이는 5개의 집단이 도출되었다. 반면 여자 청소년은 비교적 낮은 비행 수준과 감소세를 나타내는 3개의 집단이 도출되었다. 둘째, 사회유대요인의 부모애착, 관여, 신념과의 강한 유대와 또래애착, 참여에서의 약한 유대는 기타 위험군보다 비행 저위험군을 유의하게 예측하였다. 이 같은 결과는 청소년 비행을 탐색함에 있어 성별과 비행 유형을 모두 고려한 통합적이고 장기적인 접근이 필요함을 시사한다. 또한 효과적 개입을 위해 비행발달궤적의 특성이 반영된 프로그램 개발이 이루어져야 함을 제시한다.

Le rôle des traits Callous-Unemotional dans les trajectoires délictuelles et criminelles : une revue des études longitudinales

ObjectivesCorresponding to the affective facet of psychopathic personality, the Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits are characterized by indifference and emotional insensitivity, emotional coldness, lack of guilt and remorse, an absence of empathy, as well as a tendency to charm associated with a superficiality of affects (Frick et al., 2003). According to some researchers (Frick et al., 2014), these personality elements could constitute a prodromal form of psychopathy in adults and so would identify from childhood certain emotional characteristics as pathogenic as criminogenic. Nonetheless, although many studies have highlighted the important contribution of these emotional characteristics, their integration in the developmental and etiopathogenic models of aggression and delinquency still debated. In this context, the purpose of the present review is to explore and clarify the current state of knowledge about the clinical and preventive relevance of these CU traits in the identification and diagnosis of conduct disorder, but also - and more overall - in the emergence, chronicity and severity of delinquent and criminal behaviors. MethodWe performed a systematic review of longitudinal studies, published from 1990 to the present, having examined the predictive value of these CU traits about the development and evolution of aggressive and antisocial behaviors observed from childhood to adulthood. ResultsThe analysis of the literature - exclusively of Anglo-Saxon origin - tends to show the prospective links between the initial presence of CU traits and various outcomes of criminological nature. ConclusionsThe results presented in the current paper corroborate the idea that this these traits would potentially foreshadow and to precipitate the installation as well as the persistence of certain antisocial issues and delinquent trajectories.

Predictors of transitions in firearm assault behavior among drug-using youth presenting to an urban emergency department.

Risk and protective factors for firearm assault (FA) have been established, but little is known about factor preceding transitions in FA behavior. We modeled covariate effects on individuals' transitions in FA behavior (Yes/No) using inhomogeneous, continuous-time, Markov Chains. 3287 assessments were made across five initial biannual follow-ups, and two additional biannual follow-ups (an average of 2.2years later) from a follow-on study; 2687 pairs of transitions were observed (2414 No-FA → No-FA; 89 No-FA → FA; 121 FA → No-FA; 63 FA → FA). Non-firearm peer violence (HR=2.31, 95% CI [1.28,4.21]), firearm victimization (HR=2.57, 95% CI [1.31,5.04]), and marijuana ASSIST sum (HR=1.27, 95% CI [1.05,1.54]) all preceded transitions into FA, but not transitions out of FA. Delinquent peer associations both hastened transitions into FA (HR=1.19, 95% CI [1.00,1.40]) and slowed transitions out of FA (HR=0.84, 95% CI:[0.72,1.00]), with analogous findings regarding attitudes favoring retaliation. Efforts to prevent FA initiation should focus on those currently reporting firearm violence victimization, and on factors indicating an escalating delinquency trajectory (e.g. non-firearm violence, substance use), while programs focusing on peer influences and social norms may be effective at preventing FA regardless of current FA status.

The linkage between mental health, delinquency, and trajectories of delinquency: Results from the Boricua Youth Study

PurposeTo examine the longitudinal relationship between depression, delinquency, and trajectories of delinquency among Hispanic children and adolescents. MethodsPropensity score matching is used to match depressed and non-depressed youth and a combination of group-based trajectory and multinomial logistic regression techniques are used. ResultsAfter adjusting for pre-existing differences between depressed and non-depressed youth, the causal relationship between depression and delinquency and the association between depression and trajectories of delinquency appears to be largely spurious. However, the effect of depression on predicting a high rate and increasing trajectory of delinquency is robust. ConclusionsDepression and high-rate offending are linked in a sample of Hispanic children and adolescents.

The Role of Violent and Nonviolent Delinquent Behavior in Educational Attainment

Given large variations in the etiology and developmental trajectories of violent and nonviolent delinquency, this study examines whether educational outcomes of violent and nonviolent offenders might differ. In particular, this study attempts to remove environmental influences such as family background and neighborhood effects from the effects of delinquency because these factors are likely to differentially confound the effects of violent and nonviolent delinquency on educational attainment. By exploiting variation within sibling pairs, this study finds that the effects of engagement in violent delinquency on education is driven spuriously by shared family background, whereas the effects of nonviolent delinquency are quite robust to adjustment for family fixed effects. Moreover, relying on fixed effects estimates, this study finds that the effects of engagement in nonviolent delinquent activity on educational attainment occur in part through disruption of educational progress, rather than through institutional responses to student delinquency and social-psychological processes.

Change in delinquency over time between adolescents with and without maltreatment experiences: Attachment and the school's role

Despite the fact that the link between child maltreatment and delinquency has been well-established, relatively few studies have examined contributing factors in the maltreatment-delinquency relationship and the risk of reoffending. Due to unresolved attachment issues with primary caregivers, children and adolescents with a history of maltreatment may seek an alternative figure for attachment in their peer groups, schools and community settings throughout their life. Using a nationally representative sample from the Korea Welfare Panel study (KWP) in South Korea and latent growth modeling, the current study compares delinquency trajectories and the protective role of school attachment on delinquency between adolescents with (n = 348) and without a history of maltreatment (n = 129) across three waves. Moreover, this study investigates whether the timing of maltreatment affects trajectories of delinquency as well as the protective role of school attachment on delinquency over time. Results revealed that adolescents with a maltreatment history are more likely to engage in delinquency at initial levels and growth processes over time, compared to their counterparts. Initial levels and change rates of school attachment are negatively predictive of initial levels and change rates of delinquency for adolescents with maltreatment, compared to those without such an experience. Timing of maltreatment experience affects growth trajectories of delinquency as well as the protective role of school attachment on delinquency. Implications for adolescents with a history of maltreatment are discussed.

청소년 지위비행의 발달궤적에 영향을 미치는 요인 : 일반긴장이론을 중심으로

청소년 지위비행의 발달궤적에 영향을 미치는 요인 : 일반긴장이론을 중심으로