This study assessed whether participation in Swedish youth recreation centres
(Fritidsgardar) is related to long-term criminality assessed from late childhood to
mid adulthood. A prospective, longitudinal investigation of a representative cohort
of 498 boys from a medium-sized Swedish community was employed. A pattern-analysis
identi” ed ” ve configurations of boys who showed different
profiles of social and academic competence at the age of 10. The configurations were
compared with respect to juvenile and adult criminality for boys who did, and who
did not, make the decision to participate in a youth recreation centre at age 13.
Results showed that participation in youth centres was nonrandom. Boys with a
multiple problem profile of both social and academic problems in school at age 10
showed more frequent participation in recreation centres at age 13. The frequency of
criminal offending increased for all configurations of boys who became involved in a
recreation centre. Frequent participation in youth centres was linked to high rates
of juvenile offending and persistent offending (i.e., registered for one or several
offences both as a juvenile and as an adult). These ” ndings held after
controlling for individual, family, and economic factors prior to involvement in the
youth centre. The limitations of the ” ndings and their implications for
social policy are discussed.
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