Why some avoid crime despite troubled childhoods

A good ability to think clearly, deal with stress, and cooperate with others can protect against a life of crime, even for those who grow up in challenging circumstances or have a parent with a criminal history. According to a new study from Örebro University.

Having a parent who has been convicted of a crime increases the risk of committing a crime yourself – but many in this situation do not. In a new study from Örebro University, researchers are investigating what can protect against crime among men who have a parent who has been convicted of a crime.

“We have studied risk factors for crime for many years and have observed that one of the strongest is having a parent who has committed a crime. That is why we wanted to investigate whether there are also factors that can protect the children of convicted parents, such as, things that reduce the risk of them committing crimes themselves,” says Sofi Oskarsson, researcher in criminology at Örebro University.

Half a million men studied over several decades

The researchers studied nearly 500,000 men born between 1958 and 1992, some over a period of up to 48 years. They considered variables such as resting heart rate, blood pressure, cognitive ability, and psychological resilience measured at the time of conscription, and compared these with later criminal convictions.

The results indicate that men with high blood pressure, higher cognitive ability (IQ), and better psychological functioning have a lower risk of being convicted of a crime. A high resting heart rate also appears to be linked to a lower risk of crime, but this correlation is mainly explained by hereditary or environmental factors shared by siblings.

“We also saw that these correlations applied to the population at large, not just to people with a convicted parent. This suggests that the same types of characteristics can protect against crime in general, not just for a specific subgroup,” says Sofi Oskarsson.

Strengthening protective factors – can reduce the risk of crime

The researchers conclude that certain traits and abilities can safeguard against criminality, even in individuals raised in challenging circumstances, such as having a convicted parent. This is valuable knowledge for those working in schools, social services, child and adolescent psychiatry, and the criminal justice system, as well as for policymakers focused on early intervention and prevention.

“If we can strengthen children’s cognitive and psychological skills early on, rather than focusing solely on risk factors, we can adopt a more preventative and proactive approach to crime prevention and hopefully decrease the likelihood of future criminality. At the same time, we need to balance the possible stigma of having a parent with a criminal history and ensure that interventions are designed to focus on creating good development opportunities for all children,” says Sofi Oskarsson.

Fact box:
Crime is a serious social problem with far-reaching consequences on multiple levels, impacting offenders, their victims, and society at large, including economic costs and human suffering.

Read the scientific article: Biological and psychological protective factors against the intergenerational transmission of criminal convictions: A total population, sibling comparison study, published in the journal Development and Psychopathology | Cambridge Core
(https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/biological-and-psychological-protective-factors-against-the-intergenerational-transmission-of-criminal-convictions-a-total-population-sibling-comparison-study/F362ADAE8B8D8FCCFBAB2B3CDA26F172)