title: Association between behaviour at age 3 years and adult criminality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The continuity in antisocial behaviour into adulthood from middle childhood is well established but it is not clear whether this is also true of the pre-school period.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether pre-school behaviour problems increase the risk of later criminal convictions and add to risk associated with family and social circumstances.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of adult convictions were traced for a general population sample (n=828) initially assessed at age 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The risk of having any adult conviction was related to soiling, daytime enuresis, activity level and management difficulties, and that of having an adult violent offence to recent-onset daytime enuresis, management difficulties and temper tantrums. The only other predictors of later convictions were the child's gender and social competence at age 3 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of specific behaviour problems in the pre-school period places the child at increased risk of being convicted of an adult offence. Family and social circumstances at age 3 years did not predict later convictions.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research into Psychological Development, Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, UK. jsteven@psy.soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goodman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003415:Crime; D004775:Enuresis / Q000523:psychology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D012923:Social Class