Typologies of criminal convictions from childhood into adulthood: Prevention effects of the Fast Track intervention.

Goulter, N., Godwin, J., McMahon, R. J., Lochman, J. E., Coie, J. D., & Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (under review). Typologies of criminal convictions from childhood into adulthood: Prevention effects of the Fast Track intervention. 

Abstract: Moffitt’s (1996, 2002) developmental taxonomy supports four typologies of antisocial behavior through age 18: abstainers, recoveries, adolescent limited (AL) offenders, and life course persistent (LCP) offenders. Little research has examined how typologies evolve when youth are followed-up into adulthood. The present study advances past research by extending typologies based on criminal convictions into adulthood (age 24) using a sample of high-risk males. We also explored differences in patterns of criminal behavior up to age 24 and types of offenses committed across these extended typologies. Finally, we tested whether participation in the Fast Track (FT) intervention—a 10-year multimodal, preventive intervention addressing antisocial development from childhood to early adolescence—reduced the probability of belonging to each offending group relative to abstainers. Five typologies were identified when the offending time frame was expanded into adulthood reflecting abstainers, childhood/AL, adolescent starters, adult starters, and LCP offenders. Participation in the FT intervention decreased the probability of belonging to the LCP group relative to the abstainers group (OR = 0.43, 95% CI [0.22, 0.82]). Findings support early interventions targeting child social, cognitive, and emotion skills, and parenting competencies, for reducing chronic criminal convictions.