Family factors in the intergenerational transmission of offending.
BACKGROUND
Convicted parents tend to have convicted children, but there have been few previous studies of transmission between three generations, especially including both records and interviews for hundreds of people.


METHODS
In the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (CSDD), 411 south London males have been followed up from age 8 to age 48. These males (generation 2, G2) are compared with their fathers and mothers (generation 1, G1), and with their biological sons and daughters (generation 3, G3).


RESULTS
There was significant intergenerational transmission of convictions from G1 males to G2 males, and from G2 males to G3 males. Convictions of fathers still predicted convictions of sons after controlling for risk factors, but the predictive efficiency was reduced. Transmission was less from G1 females to G2 males, and from G2 males to G3 females. There was little evidence of intergenerational transmission from G1 to G3, except from grandmothers to granddaughters.


CONCLUSIONS
The intergenerational transmission of offending may be mediated by family, socio-economic and individual risk factors. Intervention to reduce intergenerational transmission could target these risk factors.
Farrington
David P
DP
Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.
Coid
Jeremy W
JW
Murray
Joseph
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003415:Crime / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011584:Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult