Prevention of Criminal Offending: the Intervening and Protective Effects of Education for Aggressive Youth

Children from poor neighbourhoods showing early aggressive behaviour are at risk for criminal offending. The role of education as a mediator, neighbourhood disadvantage and aggression as moderators for criminal offending were examined in a lower-income, community sample (n = 3,521; 48% males), acros...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Kennedy-Turner, Kathleen (Author) ; Dickson, Daniel J. (Author) ; Ledingham, Jane E. (Author) ; Schwartzman, Alex E. (Author) ; Serbin, Lisa (Author) ; Stack, Dale M. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2020
In: The British journal of criminology
Year: 2020, Volume: 60, Issue: 3, Pages: 537-558
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Keywords:
Neighbourhood disadvantage
Childhood aggression
Education
Criminal charges
Causal mediation
Description
Summary:Children from poor neighbourhoods showing early aggressive behaviour are at risk for criminal offending. The role of education as a mediator, neighbourhood disadvantage and aggression as moderators for criminal offending were examined in a lower-income, community sample (n = 3,521; 48% males), across a 40-year period from childhood to mid-adulthood. Educational attainment accounted for 15-59% of the effect from childhood risk factors. Aggression was found to be a moderator such that aggressive children with low education had the highest odds of criminal offending. A protective effect was found where aggressive children who managed to obtain more education had reduced odds of offending. Research conceptualizing education as a ‘control' variable does not address its role in the processes leading to criminal offending.
ISSN:1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azz053