To Örebro University

Purpose: Resting heart rate (RHR) is a well-established biological risk factor for criminal behavior. However, potential moderating effects of social risk factors like socioeconomic status on this relationship remain unclear. The current study sought to clarify the moderating impact of socioeconomic status on the relation between low RHR in childhood and adolescence and subsequent legal system involvement by young adulthood.

Methods: A subset of twins and triplets from the Risk Factors for Antisocial Behavior (RFAB) project (N = 347) were utilized to test hypotheses. Logistic regression analyses were performed to test for a moderating effect of socioeconomic status on the relationship between RHR and later law enforcement involvement (trouble with police, arrest).

Results: Resting HR and SES were individually associated with an increased likelihood of being in trouble with the police and being arrested. In addition, RHR and SES in adolescence interacted to predict trouble with the police and arrest history by young adulthood, such that low RHR predicted these outcomes among adolescents who remained in low SES backgrounds.

Conclusions: Adolescents who remain in low socioeconomic backgrounds from childhood will be a particularly important group to target in terms of treatment efforts to prevent criminal behavior.