Intergenerational transmission of crime

In our society, it is generally assumed that crime ‘runs in the family’. For a long time, the scientific basis for this assumption was limited. However, a growing number of multigenerational studies have been set up in recent decades, mainly in the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands and Sweden, which have made it possible to investigate the intergenerational transmission of crime. These studies are important to establish the degree of transmission and to investigate potentially effective interventions in families at risk.