title: Psychosocial correlates of police-registered youth crime. A Finnish population-based study.
abstract: This study is focused on psychosocial correlates of youth crime in a sample of 2330 Finnish boys born in 1981. Two kinds of data were combined: questionnaires completed by the boys at call-up in 1999 and crime registered in the Finnish National Police Register between 1998 and 2001. One-fifth of the boys were registered to offending during the 4-year period in late adolescence; 14% were registered for one or two offences, 4% for three to five offences, and 3% for more than five offences. Crime accumulated heavily in those with more than five offences, as they accounted for 68% of all crime. Independent correlates of crime were living in a small community, parents' low educational level and divorce, having a regular relationship, self-reported delinquency, daily smoking, and weekly drunkenness, whereas anxious-depressiveness was reversely associated with crime. Most psychosocial problems covaried linearly with offending frequency, being particularly manifested by multiple recidivists. However, recidivists had very rarely used mental health services. The results indicate that offending and various psychosocial problems accumulate in a small minority of boys not reached by mental health services.
authors.affiliation: University of Turku, Turku Fl-20014, Finland. henelo@utu.fi
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elonheimo
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sourander
authors.forename: Solja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niemelä
authors.forename: Ari-Matti
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nuutila
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helenius
authors.forename: Lauri
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sillanmäki
authors.forename: Terja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ristkari
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Parkkola
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005387:Finland; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016495:Police / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012008:Recurrence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012307:Risk Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs