Does contact with the justice system deter or promote future delinquency? Results from a longitudinal study of British adolescent twins

Bibliographic Data

ID9680934
AuthorsRyan T Motz (0000-0002-8147-6582, School of Criminal Justice University of Cincinnati, corresponding author), J C Barnes (0000-0001-6932-5397, School of Criminal Justice University of Cincinnati), Avshalom Caspi (0000-0003-0082-4600, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University), Louise Arseneault (0000-0002-2938-2191, MRC Social, Genetic, & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience King's College London), Francis T Cullen (0000-0003-4975-915X, School of Criminal Justice University of Cincinnati), Renate Houts (0000-0002-1518-2631, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University), Jasmin Wertz (0000-0002-1332-8617, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University), Terrie E Moffitt (0000-0002-8589-6760, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University)
Year2020
Volume58
Issue2
Pages307-335
Publication date2020-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCriminology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0011-1384 • E-ISSN: 1745-9125
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1745-9125.12236
PMID32612292
OpenAlexW2997504831
LanguageEN
Citations received27
References cited95

What impact does formal punishment have on antisocial conduct—does it deter or promote it? The findings from a long line of research on the labeling tradition indicate formal punishments have the opposite‐of‐intended consequence of promoting future misbehavior. In another body of work, the results show support for deterrence‐based hypotheses that punishment deters future misbehavior. So, which is it? We draw on a nationally representative sample of British adolescent twins from the Environmental Risk (E‐Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study to perform a robust test of the deterrence versus labeling question. We leverage a powerful research design in which twins can serve as the counterfactual for their co‐twin, thereby ruling out many sources of confounding that have likely impacted prior studies. The pattern of findings provides support for labeling theory, showing that contact with the justice system—through spending a night in jail/prison, being issued an anti‐social behaviour order (ASBO), or having an official record—promotes delinquency. We conclude by discussing the impact these findings may have on criminologists’ and practitioners’ perspective on the role of the juvenile justice system in society

Criminology · Developmental psychology · Economic Justice · Juvenile delinquency · Political science · Child Abuse and Trauma · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Law · Psychology

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