Persistence and Desistance across Generations: A Longitudinal Investigation

Investigators at Bowling Green State University and Florida State University propose to add a new wave of surveys to the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study (TARS) that will result in a three-generation examination of delinquency and criminal behavior [Persistence and Desistance across Generations: A Longitudinal Investigation]. Criminal justice personnel and those involved in prevention and intervention efforts alike recognize that antisocial behavior often reappears across generations. Prior studies have amply demonstrated this basic pattern, but research is nevertheless limited on: a) potentially malleable dynamics--the mechanisms underlying transmission--linked to intergenerational continuities, b) individual and particularly social processes that drive discontinuity and resilience, and c) whether and in what ways these intergenerational processes are gendered.  To address these gaps, proposed project activities build on a 25-year mixed-method longitudinal study of a population-based sample of 1,321 12-18 year olds who initially resided in Lucas County, Ohio. The stratified, random sample design included oversamples of African-American and Hispanic youths, and an equal number of male and female respondents. A parent (G1) and adolescent (G2) were surveyed at the first wave in 2001, and data include seven additional waves of interviews with G2 across the transition to adulthood, and into the peak parenting years.  Proposed project activities include new survey and in-depth interviews with G2 and G3 (adolescents), recognizing that the majority of children born to this sample are now adolescents themselves.  The intergenerational data make possible a dynamic conceptualization of risk and resilience, whether viewed across generations or within the life course experiences of parents and children. The population-based sample will enhance understanding of prosocial pathways, relative to an all high-risk group. Due to the focus on underlying mechanisms, the research design also includes in-depth interviews with parent-child pairs reflecting different observed patterns of intergenerational continuity and change. This longitudinal three-generation study will provide useful empirical findings to guide prevention and intervention efforts, whether individual, family-based, or focused on gender-responsive approaches. Accordingly, both adults and juveniles are potential beneficiaries. A clear focus on malleable sources of risk and resilience and the unusually rich data available on social influence processes across generations increase the potential impact of study findings. Expected outcomes include analyses published in scholarly journals,  data archiving for wider public use, and policy briefs to be sent to legislators, practitioners, policy organizations, and media outlets. The Florida State University collaboration is designed to maximize the study’s analytic and translational objectives.