12,000 CRIMES BY 75 BOYS - A 20-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF CHILDHOOD HYPERACTIVITY

Retrospective assessments of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for 75 advanced juvenile delinquents (AJD), treated at a Swedis h national borstal unit in 1975-6, were analysed in relation to psycho social background data, concurrent borstal data, and follow-up data un til age 30. All subjects had conduct disorder (CD) and 68% were rated as suffering from ADHD during pre-school and/or school years. Between the ages of 6 and 30 the 75 AJDs were sentenced for a total of 12,000 crimes, which, corrected for the dark number ratio, can be estimated t o 1,000 crimes per individual. In comparison with non-hyperactives, hy peractives had better psychosocial background; markedly more pronounce d school problems; a higher level of criminality, present from the beg inning and becoming more pronounced in later years; and a worse social outcome. ADHD appears to be related to crime volume and versatility ( a lifetime increase in crimes of 250%) rather than to type of crime (n o increase in crimes of violence). It appears to be one index of a spe cific kind of vulnerability, which markedly affects prognosis among AJ Ds, probably by playing an active role in the criminogenic mechanisms.