Three-year-olds can be identified as criminals of the future, by Tom Whipple.

A fifth of the population is responsible for four fifths of crime, two fifths of obesity, three quarters of fatherless families and for claiming two thirds of benefits. What’s more, scientists say, you can identify this troublesome group at the age of three.

A 45-minute test rating children on IQ and self-control, combined with information about deprivation and maltreatment, allowed researchers to predict “with considerable accuracy” which would go on to be the greatest burden on the state. The 38-year study may be useful in designing ways to help such children before it is too late.

Researchers can predict 3 year olds’ future problems, by Michael Cropp.

The renowned Dunedin Study of 1000 children born between 1972 and ’73 looked back at test results for three year olds who had been assessed on their language, motor skills and social behaviour.

The researchers said low scores were a highly accurate indicator for who would end up in what they call “a high cost group“. These are people who make up just 20 percent of the study’s subjects but account for 81 percent of criminal convictions and 66 percent of welfare benefits. …

“About 20 percent of the population will account for up to 80 percent of the cost to government wherever you look, whether it be in the justice system in terms of convictions, in terms of the Ministry of Social Development in New Zealand concerned about benefit use, the Ministry of Health bed nights used, or pharmaceutical scripts filled,” [study’s director Richard Poulton] said.

Gavin Andrews is a professor of psychiatry at the University of New South Wales in Australia and said the first three years of any child’s life was crucial.

“At the age of three if you came from a socio-economically deprived family, if you’d been abused, if you were not super bright, and if you had difficulty with self control, your trajectory through life would be much more difficult, in terms of health, wealth and wellbeing.”