The Juvenile Persistent Offender, Primary Group Deficiency and Persistent Offending Into Adulthood: A Prospective Study (1980-2002)

This prospective study explored the psychosocial construct of primary group deficiency, which entails deficits in social attachment, social integration and psychological adjustment. Few studies in the realm of criminology have examined the consequences of this deficiency longitudinally. To explore the relationship over time between primary group deficiency and general as well as violent persistent offending, 100 male juvenile detainees were interviewed in 1980. The extent to which these youth regarded their attachments and social structures as adequate was determined. When compared with other documented demographic samples, deficiencies were found. In addition, levels of anxiety and neuroticism were assessed and found to be elevated, with more than half the sample recording a high to extreme level of anxiety, a level that is typically observed in only 5% of the general population. In 2002, the participants' convictions over the previous 22 years were determined. The results reveal that participants who demonstrated inadequate social attachment — an indicator of primary group deficiency — were more likely to have greater number of convictions at follow-up and were more likely to engage in violent rather than non-violent crimes compared to participants with adequate social attachment. In addition, elevated anxiety predicted long-term persistent offending. The findings contribute to psychosocial aetiological theories of general and violent long-term persistent offending and provide implications for prevention and management programs.