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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

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01.12.2011 | Original Paper

Bullying at age eight and criminality in adulthood: findings from the Finnish Nationwide 1981 Birth Cohort Study

verfasst von: Andre Sourander, Anat Brunstein Klomek, Kirsti Kumpulainen, Anita Puustjärvi, Henrik Elonheimo, Terja Ristkari, Tuula Tamminen, Irma Moilanen, Jorma Piha, John A. Ronning

Erschienen in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Ausgabe 12/2011

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Abstract

Context

There are no prospective population-based studies examining predictive associations between childhood bullying behavior and adult criminality.

Objective

To study predictive associations between bullying and victimization at age eight and adult criminal offenses.

Design

Nationwide birth cohort study from age 8 to 26 years.

Participants

The sample consists of 5,351 Finnish children born in 1981 with information about bullying and victimization at age eight from parents, teachers, and the children themselves.

Main outcome measures

National police register information about criminal offenses at age 23–26 years.

Results

When controlled for the parental education level and psychopathology score, bullying sometimes and frequently independently predicted violent (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.9–7.9, p < 0.001; OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.6–4.1, p < 0.001, respectively), property (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2–4.7, p < 0.05; OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.7, p < 0.05), and traffic (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.8–4.4, p < 0.001; OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3–2.1, p < 0.001) offenses. The strongest predictive association was between bullying frequently and more than five crimes during the 4-year period (OR 6.6, 95% CI 2.8–15.3, p < 0.001) in adjusted analyses. When different informants were compared, teacher reports of bullying were the strongest predictor of adult criminality. In adjusted analyses, male victimization did not independently predict adult crime. Among girls, bullying or victimization at age eight were not associated with adult criminality.

Conclusions

Bullying among boys signals an elevated risk of adult criminality.

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Titel: Bullying at age eight and criminality in adulthood: findings from the Finnish Nationwide 1981 Birth Cohort Study
verfasst von: Andre Sourander
Anat Brunstein Klomek
Kirsti Kumpulainen
Anita Puustjärvi
Henrik Elonheimo
Terja Ristkari
Tuula Tamminen
Irma Moilanen
Jorma Piha
John A. Ronning
Publikationsdatum: 01.12.2011
Verlag: Springer-Verlag
Erschienen in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Ausgabe 12/2011
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Elektronische ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0292-1

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Bullying at age eight and criminality in adulthood: findings from the Finnish Nationwide 1981 Birth Cohort Study