A study by the University of Edinburgh suggests that people who have experienced a rough childhood may be more likely to commit crime later in adulthood.
The research was published as part of the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime.
The study explained how childhood experiences, such as poverty, maltreatment, police encounters, all of which may have involved trauma, was associated with a higher likelihood of serious offending by adulthood.
The findings were established based on the examination of over 4,300 people with a history of criminality by the age of 35.
“Our research suggests that justice system intervention can only be effective in preventing offending and conviction if it works in parallel with other policy responses, such as increasing educational attainment, reducing child poverty, improving adolescent health and well-being, and dealing effectively with child maltreatment,” researchers determined in their news release of the findings.
