Rearing social class, education, and criminality: a multiple indicator model.

Controversy exists in the criminology literature over whether rearing social class influences the emergence of criminal behavior. Theoretically, some researchers have argued, a lower rearing class status reflects intellectual and emotional deprivation which motivates later illegal activity. Other researchers argue that intelligence, regardless of rearing status, is the chief determinant of criminal behavior. Using maximum-likelihood path-analytic techniques and a split sample validation design on data from a longitudinal study of a true birth cohort (adult male in Denmark, N = 3,421) the present study finds support for the hypothesis that rearing social class does relate to criminal behavior—indirectly. The model tested and supported in this research is that rearing class status predicts educational performance, which in turn precedes the development of criminal activity.