Personal resources as modifiers of the risk for future criminality. An analysis of protective factors in relation to 18-year-old boys
Within the frame of a protective-factors approach, an analysis of the role played by resource factors at the age of 18 for future risk of criminality was performed. Both behavioural and home-background risks were studied. The study group consisted of 7,577 Swedish conscripts followed in official reg...
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| Contributors: | ; |
| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1997
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| In: |
The British journal of criminology
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| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Availability in Tübingen: | Present in Tübingen. IFK: In: Z 7 |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Summary: | Within the frame of a protective-factors approach, an analysis of the role played by resource factors at the age of 18 for future risk of criminality was performed. Both behavioural and home-background risks were studied. The study group consisted of 7,577 Swedish conscripts followed in official registers from the age of 18 through to the age of 36. The hypothesis was advanced that among subjects with few behavioural risks at the age of 18, resource factors (physical, emotional, social, and cognitive factors relating to the individual) would have relatively limited consequences for future delinquency. However, among subjects with a history of adjustment problems, having strong resources available might counteract adverse behavioural factors. In line with the hypothesis, among subjects with high behavioural risk, those with no strong personal resources were convicted considerably more often in later life than their counterparts with many resources. This was as true for subjects with few home-background risks as for those with many. Few differences with regard to conviction rate were found between subjects with few and those with many documented resources among low-risk individuals. Analyses of the separate resource measures revealed that, among subjects with high behavioural risk, those with documented high resources with regard to intellectual capacity, emotional stability, social maturity and psychic energy were convicted significantly less often than high-risk subjects with no documented strong resources. It is concluded that greater attention should be paid in criminological research to individuals' risks and resources in analysing and making prognoses of criminality |
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| ISSN: | 0007-0955 |