Criminality in former child welfare clients: continuity and change from adolescence to midlife.

Research problem and specific questions: It is well-known that experiences of child welfare interventions, here conceptualized as placement in out-of-home care (OHC; foster-family care and residential care), are linked to subsequent criminal behavior.

Less is known how criminal activity in the OHC population develops over the life course and to what extent such development refers to continuity and change.

The aim of this project is to further the understanding of why individuals with experience of out-of-home care engage in crime more frequently, compared to peers with no such experience as well as to identify possible turning points that pull individuals out of criminality and support desistance.Data and method: Utilizing Swedish longitudinal register data, which is centered around 21 national birth cohorts born 1972-92 and its family linkages (siblings and parents), we will study continuity and change in criminal behavior within individuals with OHC experience up to midlife (age 30-50).

This cohort material, combined with recent advances in statistical models for longitudinal data, enables us to both separately and simultaneously investigate a set of hypotheses related to life-course theories on criminal careers.Societal relevance and utilisation: The removal of a child from the parental home is done under the assumption that society, acting as parent, can and should do better in terms of providing children with good developmental opportunities.

This project addresses a growing concern that the outcomes of individuals with experience of OHC are far from satisfactory.

The importance of turning points and risk factors that can be influenced through interventions or special support, such as poor school performance, parental bereavement, and problems when leaving care, are therefore addressed.Plan for project realisation: The project will be developed over three years as a collaboration between research and practice.

An advisory board consisting of various stakeholders has been set up and will be engaged through workshops and events that will run to refine research questions and analytical strategies, interpret findings, translate knowledge and disseminate study results.

A number of academic articles will be published and knowledge will also be shared in national and international conferences.