Farrington - Distrupted Families

Sample -  411 
Male

age - 8-9 yr olds

White

Middle Class 

LONGITUDINAL STUDY 

DATA - Criminal Records 

     Self Report / Interviews 

STUDYING - what risk factors induce crime later in life?

What factors increase the chance of committing crime ?

Particular interest if family life has an input on the influence of crime?

Does upbringing have a negative influence to increase crime rate? 

USEFUL ? - find out RISK FACTORS ... Can these be PREVENTED? 

CONTEXT - 1953/4 - TIME PERIOD-  48 years on. 
East London base (cannot be argued this is rough area with high crime rate anyway?)  

411 > 394 participants left after 48 years on ! 

161/404 = criminal convicts 

93% admitted in Self Reports that they had committed a crime in life. 

RISK FACTORS : 

DISRUPTED FAMILY - unstable upbringing

ALCOHOL / SUBSTANCE ABUSE - no clear mind

PARENTAL INSTABILITY - no positive, consistent role model 

LARGE FAMILY - attention seeking

POVERTY - poor / little education  

ALL = HIGHER CHANCE OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES OF THIS STUDY 

STRENGTHS : 

Clear Correlation

Longitudinal = vast amount of data which can be corresponded with each other 

QUALITATIVE + QUANTITATIVE DATA -

WEAKNESSES :

Not taking into consideration  social factors and influence of others 

East London - area of high crime rate = more likely to be antisocial than most        areas of England