Predicting Persistent Offending Using Family and Neighborhood Characteristics

Katherine A. Paz, University of Texas at Austin

The current study addresses the differences in family processes and neighborhood characteristics between persistent offenders, adolescent offenders, adult-onset offenders and non-offenders (N=13,722) using Waves I and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Measures of parental closeness, child maltreatment, parental criminality, neighborhood poverty, and neighborhood violent crime rate were compared to offender status, while controlling for age, gender, race, family structure and parental education. Persistent offenders experienced the most family risk and overall risk, followed by adult-onset offenders, and then adolescent offenders. Non-offenders experienced the least amount of family risk. Adolescent offenders experienced the least amount of neighborhood risk compared to the other three groups who seemed to experience equal amounts of neighborhood risk.