Arrests for Drunkenness and Recidivism in Juvenile Delinquents

An attempt was made to clarify the extent to which arrests for drunkenness could be considered reliable in predicting later criminality. The investigation based on the juvenile delinquents (aged 16–20) convicted in 1965 in Finland, totalling 741 subjects. Of these subjects 242 had been arrested for drunkenness at juvenile deliquent age. In the 51/2year period included in the investigation it emerged that the subjects with arrests for drunkenness clearly showed more criminality than the remainder ( p <0.001). They were guilty of violent acts more often then the remainder ( p <0.001). This was also true of the offences against property ( p <0.0l), but not much of traffic offences ( p <0.05).