Question

As a child, Jarvis was negative, restless, willful, and physically aggressive. By age 8, he was already engaging in petty theft. In contrast, Larry was a happy child who did well in school but began displaying antisocial behavior around age 13 and gradually moved to more severe delinquent acts. Which statement is true?

1) Jarvis will likely outgrow his delinquent behavior by middle adolescence.
2) Larry is far more likely than Jarvis to develop a life-course pattern of aggression and criminality.
3) Jarvis is far more likely than Larry to develop a life-course pattern of aggression and criminality.
4) Jarvis and Larry are equally likely to develop a life-course pattern of criminality.

Answer 1

Jarvis, with early onset of antisocial behavior, is more likely to continue such behavior into adulthood, making him more likely than Larry to develop a life-course pattern of aggression and criminality.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student question concerns the likelihood of two individuals, Jarvis and Larry, developing a life-course pattern of aggression and criminality based on their behaviors at different stages in their lives. Research and theories in the field point to the idea that early onset of antisocial behavior, as seen in Jarvis, often leads to a greater likelihood of continued deviance into adulthood. This suggests that Jarvis is far more likely than Larry to develop a life-course pattern of aggression and criminality, making option 3) the correct statement. It is important to consider that early intervention and environmental changes can alter life-course trajectories, but without such interventions, patterns established in early childhood are more challenging to change.