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Pathways explaining the reduction of adult criminal behaviour by a randomized preventive intervention for disruptive
Frank Vitaro1, Edward D Barker, Mara Brendgen
1School of Psycho-Education, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada. frank.vitaro@umontreal.ca
Objective:
This study aimed to identify the pathways through which a preventive intervention targeting young low-SES disruptive boys could result in lower crime involvement during adulthood.
Method:
The preventive intervention was implemented when the children were between 7 and 9 years and included three components (i.e. social skills, parental practices, teacher support). Participants (N = 250) were randomly allocated to the intervention or to a control group. The tested pathways included antisocial behaviour, school engagement, parental supervision and friends' deviancy, both during early and middle adolescence. Crime involvement was assessed in early adulthood.
Results:
The intervention reduced adult criminal involvement via reduced early and middle adolescent antisocial behaviours.
Conclusion:
This study adds to the small group of studies that have examined the mechanisms through which early preventive interventions might impact distal outcomes.
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