Parental imprisonment: Effects on children’s delinquency through the life-course in England and Sweden Dr. Joseph Murray Institute of Criminology University.

Parental imprisonment: Parental imprisonment: Effects on children’s Effects on children’s delinquency through delinquency through

the life-course the life-course in England and Swedenin England and Sweden

Dr. Joseph MurrayDr. Joseph Murray

Institute of Criminology Institute of Criminology

University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, EnglandEngland

National Institute on Drug Abuse meeting November 6, 2006

Overview of 4 studiesOverview of 4 studiesStudyStudy Bedford Bedford

PrisonPrison

StudyStudy

CambridgCambridge Study in e Study in DelinquenDelinquen

t t DevelopmDevelopm

entent

CambridgCambridge Study in e Study in DelinquenDelinquen

t t DevelopmDevelopm

entent

Project Project MetropolitMetropolit

anan

ChildChild

OutcoOutcomeme

Numbers/ Numbers/ living living

circumstancircumstancesces

Mental Mental HealthHealth

DelinquencDelinquencyy

DelinquencyDelinquency

MethoMethodd

150 male 150 male prisoners.prisoners.

SurveySurvey

411 boys.411 boys.

LongitudinLongitudinalal

studystudy

411 boys.411 boys.

LongitudinLongitudinalal

studystudy

15,117 15,117 children.children.

LongitudinalLongitudinal

StudyStudy

PaperPaper Murray Murray

(in press) (in press) Criminology Criminology and Criminal and Criminal

JusticeJustice

Murray & Murray & FarringtonFarrington

(in press)(in press)

Development Development & &

PsychopatholPsychopathologyogy

Murray & Murray & Farrington Farrington

(2005)(2005)

Journal of Journal of Child Child

Psychology Psychology and and

PsychiatryPsychiatry

Murray, Murray, Janson, & Janson, & FarringtonFarrington

(in press)(in press)

Criminal Criminal Justice & Justice & BehaviorBehavior

Effects of parental Effects of parental imprisonmentimprisonment

Parental imprisonment

Other childhood stresses

Crime

Pre-existing

risk factors

Cambridge Study Cambridge Study (England)(England)

• 411 boys411 boys, working-class, born 1953, working-class, born 1953• Main interview ages: 8-10, 14, 18, 32, 48Main interview ages: 8-10, 14, 18, 32, 48• Parents, Teachers, Boys, Official RecordsParents, Teachers, Boys, Official Records• Ages 8-10Ages 8-10: IQ, daring, school : IQ, daring, school

attainment, poor parenting, mental attainment, poor parenting, mental health parents, poor marital relations, health parents, poor marital relations, family size, family SES, family income family size, family SES, family income & & parental convictions and parental convictions and imprisonmentimprisonment

Cambridge StudyCambridge StudyTen antisocial-delinquent outcomesTen antisocial-delinquent outcomes

- Antisocial personality (14, 18, 32)Antisocial personality (14, 18, 32)- Self reported delinquency (18, 32)Self reported delinquency (18, 32)- Convicted (10-16, 17-25, 26-40) Convicted (10-16, 17-25, 26-40) - Poor life success (32) Poor life success (32) - Imprisoned (by 40)Imprisoned (by 40)

AimsAims– Risk compared to other forms separationRisk compared to other forms separation– After controlling for other risksAfter controlling for other risks

Cambridge StudyCambridge Study

MethodMethod

23 23 Separated parental imprisonmentSeparated parental imprisonment227 227 No separationNo separation

77 77 Separated hospital/ deathSeparated hospital/ death

61 61 Separated other reasonsSeparated other reasons

17 17 Parents imprisoned only before boys’ Parents imprisoned only before boys’ birthsbirths

Statistically control for background Statistically control for background childhood adversitieschildhood adversities

Cambridge Study: Cambridge Study: Antisocial outcomesAntisocial outcomes

Number of antisocial outcomes, ages 14-40

2.3

33.4

3.8

5.4

No Prison,Not

separated

No Prison,Separated a

No Prison,Separated b

Prison(before

boy's birth)

Prison (boy0-10)

Parental imprisonment (0-10) still predicts even after controlling for other childhood

adversities

Cambridge Study: Cambridge Study: Other Childhood RisksOther Childhood Risks

Number of childhood risk factors, age 10

• 15,117 children, born 1953, 15,117 children, born 1953, Stockholm, SwedenStockholm, Sweden

• Official records until age 30Official records until age 30• Criminal records of childrenCriminal records of children• Criminal records of parentsCriminal records of parents

Project Metropolitan Project Metropolitan (Sweden)(Sweden)

AimsAims– ReplicationReplication– GirlsGirls– Middle-upper classMiddle-upper class– Different social contextDifferent social context

OutcomeOutcome– Criminal records of children from ages Criminal records of children from ages

19 to 3019 to 30

Project MetropolitanProject Metropolitan

MethodMethod

283 283 Children of imprisoned parents (0 Children of imprisoned parents (0 to 19)to 19)

14,589 14,589 Children of unconvicted parentsChildren of unconvicted parents

245 245 Children of imprisoned parents Children of imprisoned parents (before child’s (before child’s birth)birth)

Project MetropolitanProject Metropolitan

Statistically control for background Statistically control for background parental criminality parental criminality

Project Metropolitan: Project Metropolitan: Dose-response relationshipDose-response relationship

0 (n=14,589)

1 (n=316)

2 (n=86)

3-4 (n=66)

5+ (n=60)

Number of times parents incarcerated (before offspring 19)

0

1

2

3

4

5M

ea

n o

ffe

nc

es

of

off

sp

rin

g (

ag

ed

19

to

30

)

0.77

1.62

2.072.29

4.98

Results: Delinquency in Results: Delinquency in SwedenSweden

• Parental imprisonment predicted Parental imprisonment predicted girls’ and boys’ delinquencygirls’ and boys’ delinquency

• Predicts different types of crime with Predicts different types of crime with similar strengthsimilar strength

• No differences by social class of childNo differences by social class of child

Controlling for parental criminality, effects Controlling for parental criminality, effects of of

parental imprisonment disappear!parental imprisonment disappear!

Effects of parental Effects of parental imprisonmentimprisonment

Parental imprisonment

Other childhood stresses

Crime

Pre-existing

risk factors

Parental crime/ antisocial behaviour

Close comparison of Close comparison of samplessamples

Children:Children:ENGLANDENGLAND SWEDENSWEDEN

Year of birthYear of birth

ResidencyResidency

SexSex

Social classSocial class

OutcomeOutcome

19531953

London (capital)London (capital)

MaleMale

Working-classWorking-class

Crime 19-30Crime 19-30

19531953

Stockholm Stockholm (capital)(capital)

MaleMale

Working-classWorking-class

Crime 19-30Crime 19-30

Parental imprisonmentParental imprisonmentBoy aged 0 to 19Boy aged 0 to 19

versus before boy’s birthversus before boy’s birth

Parental criminalityParental criminalityParental convictionsParental convictions

nn = 29 = 29

nn = 17 = 17

up to boy 19up to boy 19

nn = 92 = 92

nn = 72 = 72

up to boy 19up to boy 19

Comparing England & Sweden: Comparing England & Sweden: CrimeCrime

ENGLANDENGLAND SWEDENSWEDEN

OddOdds s

ratioratio

((controlling for controlling for

parental parental criminality)criminality)

Partial Partial

odds ratioodds ratio

Odds Odds ratioratio

((controlling for controlling for parental parental

criminality)criminality)

Partial Partial

Odds ratioOdds ratio

CrimeCrime 19 to 3019 to 30 4.1*4.1*

**3.2*3.2* 1.31.3 1.3 1.3

Odds ratio = comparing boys with imprisoned parent (0 – 19) and boys whose parents were imprisoned only before boy’s birth.

Partial odds ratio = after controlling for parental criminality

* p < .10, ** p < .05

Social Social contextcontext

ENGLANDENGLAND SWEDENSWEDEN

Average length of Average length of prison sentencesprison sentences

LongerLonger ShorterShorter

Prison policiesPrison policies Less family Less family friendly prison friendly prison

policiespolicies

More open prisons, More open prisons, home leave, conjugal home leave, conjugal

visitsvisits

Juvenile JusticeJuvenile Justice Similar to adult Similar to adult criminal courtscriminal courts

Child welfare Child welfare committeescommittees

Social support Social support systemssystems

Developing Developing welfare statewelfare state

““Cradle to grave” Cradle to grave” social/financial social/financial

supportsupport

Punitive attitudesPunitive attitudes Less liberalLess liberal Liberal: “Swedish Liberal: “Swedish prisoner remains a prisoner remains a

citizen”citizen”

Main conclusionsMain conclusions

• Parental imprisonment strongly Parental imprisonment strongly predictive of crime in later life in predictive of crime in later life in England and SwedenEngland and Sweden

• In England parental imprisonment In England parental imprisonment = possible cause of criminal = possible cause of criminal behaviorbehavior

• In Sweden parental imprisonment ≠ In Sweden parental imprisonment ≠ cause of criminal behaviorcause of criminal behavior

Parental imprisonment Parental imprisonment across across

3 generations3 generations• Cambridge Study: Future researchCambridge Study: Future research

- 500 brothers- 500 brothers-- 519 sisters519 sisters- 600 children- 600 children

• Compare with similar study in the NetherlandsCompare with similar study in the Netherlands

• Replicate among siblings in 1950sReplicate among siblings in 1950s• Replicate among children in contemporary Replicate among children in contemporary

EnglandEngland• Compare between England and the Compare between England and the

NetherlandsNetherlands