NCJ Number
195621
Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Dated: 2001 Pages: 173-191
Date Published
2001
Length
9 pages
Annotation
According to Moffitt (1993a, 1993b), antisocial behavior develops along two distinct pathways: a chronic pattern of antisocial behavior that continues across the life course and a pattern of "adolescence limited" offending that has a different developmental source and more positive prognosis than the other pathway; this study tested Moffitt's theory of offending trajectories for a population of adolescent offenders.
Abstract
The sample consisted of 174 adolescents (101 males and 73 females), ages 13 to 18, who committed a criminal and/or index offense in central Indiana between January 1995 and May 1998. These adolescents were ordered by the court to submit to a psychological assessment subsequent to receiving juvenile justice charges. Three groups of offenders were identified based on a two-step cluster analysis: well-adjusted, internalizing, and externalizing groups. Consistent with Moffitt's theory, a subsample of offenders (externalizing group) engaged in more problem behaviors than the other offending groups. Additionally, female offenders in the internalizing group evidenced more psychopathology than males in this offending group as well as females in the other offending groups. Offending rates and variety of criminal offenses were not distinguishable among the groups. The study concluded that the results provided evidence for Moffitt's theory regarding trajectories in adolescent offending. The study also provided support for the theory developed by Silverthorn and Frick (1999) regarding female offending. This was particularly evident in the rates of psychopathology evidenced by a subsample of adolescent females in the internalizing group. 5 tables and 40 references