The Development of Offending from Age 8 to Age 50: Recent Results from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development

In the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, 411 males have been followed up from age 8 to age 50, in repeated personal interviews and criminal record searches. At age 48, 93 % of males were interviewed, and 41 % of males were convicted up to age 50. There were 39 self-reported offences for every conviction, on average. This article summarizes criminal careers, childhood risk factors at age 8-10, and adult life success outcomes at age 48. Males who desisted from offending before age 21 were similar to unconvicted males in their life success at age 48. These results suggest that crime can be reduced by interventions that target early childhood risk factors.