NCJ Number
56649
Journal
Archives of General Psychiatry Volume: 27 Issue: 5 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1972) Pages: 600-603
Date Published
1972
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE OFFENSE RECORDS OF 52 ADOPTEES WHOSE BIOLOGICAL MOTHERS WERE INCARCERATED OFFENDERS ARE COMPARED WITH THE RECORDS OF OTHER ADOPTEES.
Abstract
THE SUBJECTS WERE BORN BETWEEN 1925 AND 1956 TO 41 FEMALE INMATES IN ILLINOIS, 37 OF WHOM WERE FELONS. AT THE TIME OF FOLLOWUP, THE SUBJECTS' AGES RANGED FROM 15 TO 45. THEIR ARREST AND TRAFFIC RECORDS IN ILLINOIS WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF MATCHED CONTROLS (OTHER ADOPTEES OF THE SAME AGE). THE FEMALE OFFENDERS' OFFSPRING HAD SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ARRESTS, REPEATED ARRESTS, CONVICTIONS, AND INCARCERATIONS THAN DID CONTROL ADOPTEES. OF THE OFFENDERS' OFFSPRING, 15 PERCENT HAD BEEN ARRESTED (8 PERCENT REPEATEDLY), 13 PERCENT CONVICTED, AND 10 PERCENT INCARCERATED. THE OFFENDERS' OFFSPRING ALSO HAD MORE TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS THAN DID CONTROLS, ALTHOUGH THE DIFFERENCE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT. HALF OF THE OFFENDERS' OFFSPRING WITH OFFENSE RECORDS WERE FEMALES. (THE OFFENDERS' OFFSPRING INCLUDED 27 MALES AND 25 FEMALES). THE FINDINGS SUGGEST SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AMONG ADOPTEES WHOSE BIOLOGICAL MOTHERS WERE CRIMINAL OFFENDERS THAN AMONG OTHER ADOPTEES. THE ACTUAL RATE OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AMONG THE SUBJECTS MAY BE EVEN HIGHER THAN ESTIMATED, BECAUSE ONLY ILLINOIS POLICE REOCRDS WERE CHECKED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)