Sense of coherence and criminal offences among young males. Findings from the Finnish from a boy to a man study

The aim is to study associations between sense of coherence (SOC), and criminality among young males. The sample included 2314 males born 1981. Information about self-reports of SOC was obtained from obligatory military call-up. Information about criminality was obtained from the Finnish National Police Register. Self-reported poor SOC was associated with all specific crime types. Poor SOC was especially associated with high level of criminal offences. The study shows the sensitivity of the SOC-13 scale to antisocial and rule-breaking behavior. Further studies to examine SOC as an evaluation measure of the effect of psychosocial interventions are warranted.