Does Violence in Adolescence Differentially Predict Offending Patterns in Early Adulthood?

Abstract

Previous research is mixed on whether the commission of a violent offense in adolescence is predictive of criminal career characteristics. In the current study, we addressed the following: (a) What factors predict the commission of serious violence in mid-adolescence? and (b) Does involvement in serious violence in mid-adolescence lead to more chronic and/or more heterogeneous patterns of offending in early adulthood? Data were obtained from the Pathways to Desistance Study, a longitudinal study of serious adolescent offenders in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Phoenix, Arizona. Prior arrests, violence exposure, and gang involvement distinguished adolescents who engaged in violence at baseline. A violent offense at baseline was not predictive of a higher frequency of rearrests but was associated with membership in the low offending trajectory. In conclusion, violent offending in adolescence might be a poor predictor of chronic and heterogeneous patterns of offending throughout the life course.

Bully Victimization, Truancy, and Violent Offending: Evidence From the ASEP Truancy Reduction Experiment

“…While there were not significant differences between the experiment and control group on their post-intervention measures of violence, the levels of self-reported violence stayed the same for those in the control group (10 young people; 10.9%) but decreased slightly for those in the experiment (7 young people; 7.6%). These findings support the argument that violence is rare in adolescents, even in samples of young people who exhibit many risk factors for violence (Cardwell et al, 2019; Cardwell & Piquero, 2018; Loeber & Farrington, 1998; Reiss & Roth, 1993). The results are also indicative of the capacity of the ASEP intervention to reduce violence in the sample of treatment participants over time.…”

Non-intimate Relationships and Psychopathic Interpersonal and Affective Deficits as Risk Factors for Criminal Career: A Comparison Between Sex Offenders and Other Offenders

“…The greater likelihood of a history of violence and antisocial behavior (as adolescents and adults), together with problems with substance abuse amongst OO as compared with SO, is a result in line with the literature evidence (e.g., Gottfredson et al, 2008 ). The importance of violence during the adolescence as predictor of offending patterns in adulthood is still debated ( Cardwell and Piquero, 2018 ), even if violent behaviors during the childhood, for example the presence of aggressions ( Juon et al, 2006 ), seem to predict serious offending in adulthood. The link between drug use and criminal behavior has received attention from scholars ( Tonry and Wilson, 1990 ; Bennett et al, 2008 ; Gottfredson et al, 2008 ; Liu et al, 2018 ).…”

Proximal predictors of gun violence among adolescent males involved in crime.

“…Existing work using the Pathways data (e.g., Baskin & Sommers, 2014; Cardwell & Piquero, 2018; Reid et al, 2017) and more general reviews (e.g., Farrington & Loeber, 2000) have devoted considerable attention to the study of risk factors for violence and gun-carrying. For instance, Cardwell and Piquero (2018) adopt a similar risk-factor approach to understand predictors of violence during adolescence and evaluate the stability of involvement of violence into young adulthood. Cardwell and Piquero (2018) conclude that gang involvement and exposure to violence were significantly associated with odds of subsequent violent behavior.…”

“…For instance, Cardwell and Piquero (2018) adopt a similar risk-factor approach to understand predictors of violence during adolescence and evaluate the stability of involvement of violence into young adulthood. Cardwell and Piquero (2018) conclude that gang involvement and exposure to violence were significantly associated with odds of subsequent violent behavior. Similarly, Baskin and Sommers (2014) utilize Pathways data to observe how exposure to community violence is related to different trajectories of violent behavior and conclude that exposure to violence led individuals to be more embedded in patterns of violent criminal behavior.…”