title: Understanding the relationship between self-reported offending and official criminal charges across early adulthood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been very little research examining criminal careers in adulthood using both self-report data and official records.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this paper are to use self-reports and official criminal records to explore (1) the prevalences and frequencies of offending behaviour in adulthood; (2) continuity in offending behaviour across the life course; and (3) predictors of official court charges in adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data are drawn from the Seattle Social Development Project, a longitudinal study of 808 participants followed from childhood into early adulthood. Data from ages 21 through 33 are used to examine criminal careers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalences of offending behaviour decreased with age, whilst frequency amongst offenders remained stable or increased. There was significant continuity in offending from adolescence to adulthood in both self-reports and official records, especially for violence. Violent offences were most likely to result in a court charge. Even after controlling for self-reported frequency of offending, demographic variables (gender, ethnicity, and poverty) were significantly related to a court charge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-report and official records, both separately and together, provide valuable information for understanding criminal careers in adulthood, especially with regard to offending continuity across the life course and predicting the likelihood of a court charge.
authors.affiliation: Social Development Research Group, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Gilman
authors.forename: Karl G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: B K Elizabeth
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Alyssa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nevell
authors.forename: J David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Farrington
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D003416:Criminal Law; D057237:Criminals / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult