Systematic Review of Psychosocial Risk and Protective Factors in Children Reported from Developmental Criminology

Evidence indicates that persistent transgressive behaviors often begin early in development and increase around age twelve, and warns that children who exhibit transgressive behaviors in childhood or early adolescence tend to develop criminal behaviors in adulthood which makes childhood a critical unit of analysis for timely intervention. The study examines risk and protective factors in childhood related to illegal behavior, through the perspective of developmental criminology. The observation of risk and protective factors in early stages allows us to design interventions that prevent social adjustment problems in children from becoming more complex by maintaining the transgression of social norms over time. Factors identified by developmental criminology can be organized according to ecological systems theory and discussed in relation to previous criminological studies.

Using a systematic review based on the PRISMA method, the study identifies 24 updated developmental criminology articles that study early protective factors between birth and age twelve.

Risk factors at the individual level include biological, socioemotional, behavioral, symptomatic aspects and adverse life experiences. Individual protective factors include cognitive, socioemotional, and personality development aspects. Risk factors at an interpersonal and contextual level are related to family, school, peers, socioeconomic situation and governance.

This review highlights the importance of recognizing risk and protective factors in child development, contemplating interventions at multiple levels where an articulation between the various institutions involved in child care is possible.