DOES PRESCHOOL HELP PREVENT DELINQUENCY IN BOYS WITH A HISTORY OF PERINATAL COMPLICATIONS

We examined whether a preschool intervention program moderates the eff ects of perinatal complications with a sample of boys from the most di sadvantaged areas of Montreal (Canada). Some boys experienced the pres chool program and some did not, which allowed res to test whether the program had any effects on the boys' risk for early adolescent delinqu ency given their perinatal histories. We hypothesized that perinatal c omplications would place boys at significantly greater risk for antiso cial behavior during early adolescence and that participation in a pre ventive preschool program might circumvent this risk. Independent of m aternal sociodemographic characteristics, boys with a history of perin atal complications showed no greater risk of reporting delinquency dur ing early adolescence than their same-sex peeps without a history of p erinatal complications. Surprisingly, the program showed a beneficial effect on boys with no history of serious perinatal complications. Suc h boys were less at risk for delinquency. In the presence of a serious medical condition after birth, the benefits of the program decreased significantly to the point that it placed the boys at risk.