It is well-known that experiences of out-of-home care (OHC; foster-family care and residential care) are linked to criminal behavior. Less is known how criminal activity in the OHC population develops over the life course and to what extent such development is characterized by desistance or persistence. Using population-based longitudinal register data for more than 740,000 Swedish men and women, of which around 2.5% have experience of OHC, followed until age 40, results from group-based trajectory modelling and multinomial regression suggest that OHC-experienced individuals with various timing and duration of placement, especially men first placed as teenagers, have substantially elevated likelihood for persistent offending compared to peers without OHC experience. However, most OHC-experienced followed pathways characterized by desistance. Our findings have implications for understanding the dynamics of offending in OHC populations and underscores the necessity for interventions that can prevent the onset of criminal careers, as well as disrupt or modify the ongoing paths of offending within this disadvantaged group of individuals.

Research Findings: This study aimed to investigate the developmental path of social skills in early childhood, the associated predictors, and its impact on later school performance. This prospective longitudinal study included 2,121 children, ages 3-5 at baseline, from the general population in a mid-sized Swedish municipality. Results show both stability and change in social skills. Stable low social skills increased the risk for poor school performance, while stable high social skills increased the chance for good school performance in primary school. With some notable gender differences, both individual and family factors were significant predictors of stable low and stable high paths of social skills during early childhood. Practice or Policy: Whether the goal is to improve children's social skills or their performance in school, this study provides important clues for prevention. We identified several potential targets for interventions to promote early social skills development, which may in turn promote positive school performance. It is also notable that there seem to be gender differences in which factors are important, indicating the need for gender-differentiated interventions.

The importance of Vesicular Glutamate Transporter 2 (VGLUT2)-mediated neurotransmission has been highlighted in studies on addiction-related phenotypes. The single nucleotide polymorphism rs2290045 in VGLUT2 has been associated with alcohol dependence, but it is unknown whether or how this association is affected by environmental factors. The present study determined whether the association of alcohol-related problems with the rs2290045 in the VGLUT2 gene was modified by negative and positive environmental factors. Three samples were included: a clinical sample of 131 adolescents followed from age 17 to 22; a general population sample of 1794 young adults; and a general population sample of 1687 adolescents followed from age 14 to 17. DNA was extracted from saliva and the rs2290045 (T/C) was genotyped. Alcohol-related problems were assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Stressful life events (SLE) and parenting were assessed by questionnaires. Gene-environment interactions were investigated using a dual statistical approach. In all samples (effect sizes 0.6-6.2%), and consistent with the differential susceptibility framework, T carriers exposed to SLE reported more alcohol-related problems if they had experienced poor parenting, and lower alcohol-related problems if they had received supportive parenting. T carriers not exposed to SLE reported higher alcohol-related problems if they had received supportive parenting and lower alcohol-related problems if they had received poor parenting. Among CC carriers, alcohol-related problems did not vary as a function of negative and positive environmental factors. In conclusion, in three samples of youths, alcohol-related problems were associated with an interaction of VGLUT2 rs2290045, SLE, and parenting.

Risk- och skyddsfaktorer fornormbrytande beteende bland unga : Att anvanda teori och forskning i praktiken

Research investigating the developmental interrelations among symptoms of anxiety, depression, and conduct problems in early childhood is lacking. The present study aims to fill this significant knowledge gap. A large Swedish prospective longitudinal data set (SOFIA study) was utilized, in which approximately 2.000 children have been assessed by parents and school staff at four time points, beginning at ages 3–5 and the fourth assessment conducted at ages 8–10. Results showed that symptoms of anxiety and depression were positively related to conduct problems, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and among both boys and girls. However, when all other variables were controlled for in the path analysis, a different picture emerged. Cross-sectional unidirectional positive effects from conduct problems to depressive symptoms were identified at each time point, with the effect from conduct problems to depressive symptoms during middle childhood being only significant among girls. Furthermore, conduct problems predicted anxiety symptoms during middle childhood among both boys and girls. Neither depressive nor anxiety symptoms predicted conduct problems. These findings suggest that conduct problems are associated with increased risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms, and may contribute to the development of psychopathological symptoms during childhood.

In this article, we give a presentation of the longitudinal research program Individual Development and Adaptation (IDA) that can be helpful as a template for researchers considering to launch their own longitudinal studies, and that opens the door to IDA for researchers looking for suitable data to be analyzed within their own project or in collab-oration with IDA. We also introduce the holistic-interactionistic theoretical framework of IDA and the associated person-oriented approach – an approach that is especially suited for analyzing the rich IDA data set with its broad coverage of different areas of adjustment and related factors. The paper provides an overview of the essential features of the IDA database, as well as of ongoing and planned IDA research. Keywords: IDA, longitudinal, prospective, person-oriented, development, adaptation

Children with early-onset conduct problems (CP) are at great risk for future behavior problems, and this risk seems to increase when CP co-occur with psychopathic traits. Even though studies are indicating that the entire psychopathic personality construct may be more useful in designating a meaningful subgroup of children with CP, research on psychopathic traits and CP in childhood have mainly focused on the role of callous unemotional (CU) traits. Prospective longitudinal data of 1867 3- to 5-year-olds (47% girls) followed annually for two years was used to compare groups of children with different combinations of CP and psychopathic traits on fearlessness and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Children with CP and psychopathic personality had higher baseline and stable levels of ADHD symptoms than children with CP only or children with CP and concurrent CU traits, while baseline levels of fearlessness did not differ. They were also more likely to display stable levels of the risky combination of CP and ADHD symptoms. Results were similar for boys and girls. Findings indicate that there are reasons to consider other traits and behaviors as specifiers for subgroups of children with CP over and above CU traits, in order to optimize both diagnostic practice and treatment outcomes.

Positive early school adjustment has been suggested to provide an important base for future school performance. In fact, positive adjustment to school has emerged as one of the key factors for educ ...

Although research has shown psychopathic traits to be moderately to highly stable in late childhood and adolescence, little is known about stability in early childhood, specifically in preschool ag ...

This chapter summarizes key findings from published studies using data from the Swedish longitudinal research program Individual Development and Adaptation (IDA). It focuses on studies that have examined factors related to registration for crime, with a particular focus on how to differentiate various pathways of crime in terms of individual and social childhood and adolescence risk factors and adulthood adjustment outcomes. The results of the reviewed studies from the IDA program are framed in the context of two life-course theories of criminal offending: Moffitt's developmental taxonomy theory and Thornberry and Krohn's Interactional theory. The chapter begins with a brief description of these two life-course theories and moves on to describe the questions we posed for the review of the findings on crime from the IDA program. It describes the penal climate of Sweden and the socio-demographic context of the city in which the IDA program has been conducted.

Purpose: Risk and protective factors for antisocial behavior have been shown to act in a cumulative manner. The purpose of this article is to examine the predictive power of risk factors and protective indices predicting violent offending.Methods: We used longitudinal data across 25 years to predict violent offenses for 475 males. Cumulative childhood risk factors (age 10), and-cumulative individual, family, peer and school protective factors (ages 13, 15) were analyzed.Results: The likelihood for a conviction for violent offenses showed a fivefold increase with an increase in risk factors from 0 to 3. This increase was markedly reduced when controlling for protective factors. Similarly, controlling for risk factors, the likelihood for a conviction was almost ameliorated, showing a tenfold decrease, with an increase in protective factors from 0 to 10. Interactions between cumulative risk and protective factors were also found. Total number of protective factors significantly decreased the likelihood of violent offenses for those with and without childhood behavioral risk factors, however the decrease was significantly greater for those with no childhood risk factors.Conclusions: Analyses of antisocial behavior should not be restricted to risk factors, but include protective factors, if the purpose is to better tailor interventions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The heritability of alcohol use disorder (AUD) ranges between 40 to 60%, as demonstrated by twin studies. Environmental factors are hence of importance for the developmental trajectory of the disor ...

This study analyzed data from a prospective longitudinal study of Swedish preschoolers to examine whether psychopathic traits and concurrent conduct problems predict future conduct problems (CP) across 1- and 2-year follow-ups into early childhood. We tested the predictive ability of psychopathic traits while controlling for concurrent CP, and also by combining psychopathic traits with concurrent CP. A community sample of 1,867 preschoolers (47% girls) ages 3 to 5 years at baseline was recruited from a Swedish medium-sized municipality. Results from multivariate regression analyses showed that psychopathic traits alone (without co-occurring CP) did not consistently predict continuing childhood CP, but did so, among both boys and girls, in combination with concurrent conduct problems. It is important to note that, the combination of concurrent CP and the entire psychopathic personality, that is, a 3-dimensional psychopathic construct, was a stronger predictor of continuing childhood CP than the combination of concurrent CP and Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits among boys but not among girls. (PsycINFO Database Record

Objective: Aggression Replacement Training (ART) is a multimodal program aiming at replacing antisocial behaviors by actively teaching desirable behaviors. The program is frequently used and has been provided within a wide variety of settings, but its effectiveness in its own right has not been addressed in previous reviews. This systematic review examines the effect of ART on antisocial behavior in young people and adults.Methods: Published and unpublished literature was searched to identify randomized and non-randomized studies comparing ART for adults and youth with usual care, other interventions, or no intervention. Primary outcomes included recidivism in antisocial behavior, while secondary outcomes were related to social skills, anger management and moral reasoning.Findings: This review identified 16 studies with considerable clinical and methodological diversity. The methodological quality and the post-intervention follow-up of the studies were limited. Almost half of the studies were conducted by researchers who have vested interests in the intervention.Conclusions: There is an insufficient evidence-base to substantiate the hypothesis that ART has a positive impact on recidivism, self-control, social skills or moral development in adolescents and adults. Further research is warranted by independent investigators exploring the effects of ART on clearly-defined target groups using high standard evaluation designs. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) genotype has been implicated as a vulnerability factor for several psychiatric diseases as well as aggressive behavior, either directly, or in interaction with an adverse environment. The present study aimed at investigating the susceptibility properties of COMT genotype to adverse and favorable environment in relation to physical and verbal aggressive behavior. The COMT Val158Met polymorphism was genotyped in a Swedish population‐based cohort including 1,783 individuals, ages 20–24 years (47% males). A significant three‐way interaction was found, after correction for multiple testing, between COMT genotype, exposure to violence, and parent–child relationship in association with physical but not verbal aggressive behavior. Homozygous for the Val allele reported lower levels of physical aggressive behavior when they were exposed to violence and at the same time experienced a positive parent–child relationship compared to Met carriers. Thus, susceptibility properties of COMT genotype were observed in relation to physical aggressive behavior supporting the hypothesis that COMT genotypes are modifying the sensitivity to environment that confers either risk or protection for aggressive behavior. As these are novel findings, they warrant further investigation and replication in independent samples. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Children with early onset of conduct problems (CP) are at risk for long lasting psychosocial problems, especially if CP co-occurs with callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Joint trajectories of CP and CU traits during early childhood were identified using data from the SOFIA study, following 2031 children longitudinally from ages 3–5 to 5–7 years. The results showed that children exhibiting stable high CP and CU traits were characterized by high levels of fearlessness, and psychopathic traits, including grandiose-deceitfulness, and impulsivity, need for stimulation. Children with decreasing or increasing CP and CU traits were characterized by decreases and increases respectively in their levels of fearlessness and psychopathic traits. Children high on CP and low on CU traits exhibited lower levels of these dimensions. Thus, stability and change of fearlessness and psychopathic traits are associated with stability and change in CP and CU traits, making these temperamental and personality traits promising target candidates for early intervention.

Uniformed presences are thought to create feelings of safety in people. However, do different uniformed people contribute to the same amount of safety and are there differences dependent on the situation? The present study examined the association between various types of uniformed presence and people’s feelings of safety through a questionnaire among 352 respondents (18-86 years) (49.1 % women). The questionnaire contained pictures of relatively safe and unsafe situations with or without uniformed presence. The respondents estimated how safe they thought they would feel in these situations with and without two police officers, six police officers, a police car, two security guards, or two police volunteers. The results showed that uniformed presence does not increase feelings of safety in an already relatively safe situation, making patrol unnecessary. In relatively unsafe situations however, all types of uniformed presence increase feelings of safety. Foot patrolling police increased feelings of safety the most. Security guards and police volunteers created approximately the same amount of safety; making police volunteers a cost-effective alternative, although some situation, gender and age differences were found. All types of foot patrol were better than vehicle patrol (with some gender differences), making non-police groups an alternative to vehicle patrol.

Being victimized as a child or youth increases the risk of emotional and behavioural problems, and may call for a report to authorities and professional support. This study investigates how often young adult males and females in a randomly selected general population in Sweden (n = 2,500) reported different types of victimization as a child or youth and to whom, from whom they received professional support, whether it was more common to receive professional support among those victimized multiple times by different types of crime, and whether there was a connection between report and support. Analyses reveal that the participants more often responded that they had not reported their victimization, than that they had reported it. For those who had, the police was the most common institution to which the victimization was reported. It was significantly more common for victimized females to both report and receive professional support than for males. There was a trend towards a greater likelihood of receiving professional support after higher levels of victimization. In all however, of those whose victimization had been reported to the authorities, only 22.4% had received professional support to deal with their experiences of victimization. We conclude that the relatively low prevalence of reporting victimization and receiving support documented in this study calls for reflection upon how well society meets the needs of victims.

CRHR1 Genotype Sensitivity to Supportive and Aversive Environmental Influences in Relation to Alcohol Misuse

In this article the authors present a review of previous reviews and meta-analyses, identifying and summarizing the empirical research base on risk and protective factors for future psychosocial problems-specifically externalizing and internalizing problems-among preschool children. The authors also discuss risk and protective factors in the framework of concepts such as evidence-based practice, risk-focused prevention and treatment, and the Risk, Need, and Responsivity principles. They conclude that there is an extensive amount of research on risk and protective factors for preschool children that could and should be used by well educated professionals to help children to a better life.