Risk factors for self-reported delinquency in emerging adulthood
| Author | Victor R. van der Geest,Arjan A.J. Blokland,Jessica M. Hill |
| Published date | 01 September 2018 |
| Date | 01 September 2018 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1477370817749495 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1477370817749495
European Journal of Criminology
2018, Vol. 15(5) 544 –566
© The Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/1477370817749495
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Risk factors for self-reported
delinquency in emerging
adulthood
Jessica M. Hill
Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), The Netherlands
Arjan A.J. Blokland
Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), The Netherlands / Leiden
University, The Netherlands
Victor R. van der Geest
VU University, The Netherlands / Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement
(NSCR), The Netherlands
Abstract
The goal of this study is to examine risk factors for delinquency in emerging adulthood,
highlighting any differences between those generally found for adolescent delinquent behaviour.
The importance of examining risk factors for this age group is discussed, given recent changes
in the nature of the early adult years, and the fact that, although the majority of adolescent
offenders desist during adulthood, there remain a high number of offenders in the early adult
years. Risk effects for self-reported delinquency were examined in a general population sample
of emerging adults (age 18–24). A range of risk factor measures, such as peer delinquency, need
for autonomy, parental support and substance use, were used to predict reporting of at least one
arrestable offence in a six-month period beginning a year later. In the full model, parental social
support, alcohol use and a measure of self-control, aggression and criminal attitude all significantly
predicted delinquency. We conclude that a good relationship with parents continues to be an
important protective factor and that alcohol use continues to indicate problems with delinquency
during emerging adulthood, similarly to during adolescence. These two factors are discussed as
being suitable issues for interventions. We also discuss the theoretical implications of our findings.
Corresponding author:
Jessica M. Hill, Crime, Prevention and Sanctions Division, WODC, Ministry of Justice and Security, The
Hague, The Netherlands.
Email: j.m.hill@minvenj.nl
749495EUC0010.1177/1477370817749495European Journal of CriminologyHill et al.
research-article2018
Article
Hill et al. 545
Keywords
Alcohol use, delinquency, emerging adulthood, parental support, risk factors
Introduction
There is a wealth of literature on the risk effects for delinquent behaviour in adolescence
(for example, Green et al., 2008; Herrenkohl et al., 2000; Hill et al., 1999; Kolvin et al.,
1999; Mulder et al., 2010; Van der Laan et al., 2010). These longitudinal studies generally
follow individuals for an extended number of years, using risk factors from either child-
hood or early adolescence to predict delinquent behaviour later in adolescence. This focus
on adolescence is understandable, since this is the age at which delinquent behaviour
increases rapidly (Farrington et al., 2008). Given that the majority of offenders desist as
they become adult, the analysis of risk effects for delinquent behaviour in early adulthood
is justifiably less common. Yet for many young people the nature of the early years of
adulthood has changed dramatically over recent decades. This time of life, labelled by
developmental psychologists as ‘emerging adulthood’, is now characterized by a delaying
of traditional adult roles and increased freedom to explore and experiment (Arnett, 2015).
These changes may lead to the continued relevance of risk factors associated with adoles-
cent offending or the emergence of risk factors particular to this age group.
We explore this question using data from a longitudinal, prospective study on delin-
quency in emerging adulthood. Using a contemporary, general population, ethnically
diverse, urban sample of 970 emerging adults living in the Netherlands, aged between 18
and 24 years, we examine possible risk factors for self-reported delinquency. Specifically,
we research whether a range of factors all measured in emerging adulthood predict delin-
quent behaviour for a six-month period beginning one year later. Based on previous
research (for example, Asscher et al., 2013; Elliott et al., 1996; Janssen et al., 2014;
Loeber et al., 2007), risk factors were selected for their probable importance to the
emerging adulthood period and the changes that may or may no longer occur as young
people leave adolescence.
A shift to emerging adulthood
The lives of many of today’s young adults living in the Western world look very different
from those of previous generations (Côté and Bynner, 2008). Moffitt’s argument for
adolescents’ delinquency motivation – that ‘they remain financially and socially depend-
ent on their family of origin’ (1993, 687) – could just as well refer to many young people
during the early years of emerging adulthood. Rather than progressing swiftly into the
adult roles of marriage, parenthood and a stable job, young people today tend to delay
these roles, or do not have access to them, until later in life. Owing to the increasing need
for post-secondary educational qualifications, the majority of young people in West
European countries spend at least some of their early adult years in education (Eurostat,
2014). In the Netherlands, the average age for getting married is now well into the thir-
ties for both men and women and the average age of becoming a parent for first time is
29 for Dutch women and 32 for Dutch men (United Nations, 2016). Furthermore, the
average age for leaving the parental home in the Netherlands is 23 years. These
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