Researchers Identify Distinct Childhood Lying Patterns Linked to Adult Aggression and Crime

A 16-year longitudinal study, published in Development and Psychopathology, has found that while most children lie only occasionally and become more honest as they grow older, a small group whose lying persists or increases over time is more likely to develop antisocial traits and receive criminal convictions in adulthood. The study, titled The Long View: Lie-Telling Trajectories, Ages 6 to 19 Years, was conducted by an international team led by Victoria Talwar, together with Angela M. Crossman, Kristy Robinson, Marie-Claude Geoffroy, Sylvana Côté, Richard Ernest Tremblay, and Frank Vitaro.

Researchers followed 3,017 French-speaking children in Quebec from approximately age six through early adulthood. They tracked patterns of lying across childhood and adolescence and examined how these trajectories related to later aggression, antisocial personality symptoms, and official criminal records.

How the Long-Term Study Was Conducted

The participants came from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Children, which included both a representative population sample and an additional group of children with elevated disruptive behavior. The cohort consisted of approximately 47% girls and 53% boys.

Parents and teachers rated each child's lying behavior using a three-point scale at multiple time points between ages six and nineteen, classifying lying as absent, occasional, or frequent. Parents also assessed aggressive behavior at ages six and nineteen, while teachers evaluated impulsivity at age twelve.

At age twenty-two, participants completed standardized psychiatric interviews assessing symptoms of antisocial personality disorder. Researchers also obtained official juvenile and adult court records documenting both violent and non-violent criminal convictions occurring between ages thirteen and twenty-five.

Three Distinct Lying Trajectories Identified by Teachers

Teacher reports identified three primary developmental patterns of lying.

The largest group, representing approximately 73% of participants, displayed low levels of lying during childhood that gradually declined to nearly zero by around age fifteen. This pattern appears to reflect the typical developmental progression toward greater honesty.

A second group, comprising roughly 22% of children, followed an increasing trajectory. These children began with somewhat higher levels of lying than their peers, and their dishonesty gradually increased to an occasional but persistent level throughout adolescence.

The smallest group, representing about 5% of participants, exhibited frequent lying during early childhood that steadily declined over time. By mid-adolescence, lying had nearly disappeared, demonstrating that even early, frequent dishonesty can diminish with development.

Parents Observed Similar but Not Identical Patterns

Parent reports also identified three distinct developmental trajectories, although the distribution differed somewhat from teacher observations.

The largest group, accounting for 58% of participants, showed stable occasional lying between ages six and nineteen. This pattern likely reflects the common developmental tendency for children to occasionally test boundaries without progressing to more serious behavioral problems.

Approximately 30% of children belonged to a consistently low-lying group, with dishonesty beginning at relatively low levels and declining almost completely by late adolescence. These children generally demonstrated fewer behavioral difficulties.

The remaining 12% followed a curvilinear trajectory. Their lying behavior was moderate during early childhood, peaked between ages eight and ten, and then declined sharply during adolescence, suggesting a temporary developmental phase rather than a persistent behavioral pattern.

Aggression and Impulsivity Predicted Higher Lying

The study found that early aggressive behavior and later impulsivity significantly predicted membership in the higher-lying trajectories.

Children who displayed more aggressive behavior at age six were more likely to belong to groups characterized by persistent or increasing lying.

Similarly, adolescents who were rated as more impulsive at age twelve were more likely to follow developmental pathways involving greater dishonesty than peers whose lying remained consistently low.

Lead author Victoria Talwar emphasized that occasional lying is a normal part of childhood development. However, when lying becomes persistent or increases over time—particularly alongside aggression or impulsivity—it may indicate an elevated risk of later behavioral and social difficulties.

Childhood Lying Predicted Adult Outcomes

By early adulthood, childhood lying trajectories were clearly associated with both psychological and legal outcomes.

According to teacher reports, participants whose lying increased over time displayed more symptoms of antisocial personality disorder than those in the low-lying group.

This same group also accumulated more violent and non-violent criminal convictions between the ages of thirteen and twenty-five. Although overall conviction rates remained relatively low, the differences between developmental trajectories were statistically significant.

Parent reports revealed a somewhat different pattern. Individuals belonging to the stable occasional-lying group showed the highest levels of adult aggression, antisocial personality symptoms, and criminal convictions compared with those in the low or declining lying groups.

Across both parent and teacher assessments, children whose lying remained consistently low or decreased with age experienced the most favorable outcomes. They exhibited lower levels of adult aggression, fewer antisocial personality symptoms, and the lowest rates of criminal convictions.

What Parents and Educators Can Learn

The researchers emphasize that occasional lying during childhood is common and generally should not be viewed as a sign of serious psychological problems. As children mature, improvements in self-control and moral reasoning naturally reduce dishonest behavior in most cases.

However, lying that remains frequent, becomes increasingly common over time, or occurs alongside aggression, impulsivity, or other disruptive behaviors may represent an early warning sign deserving additional attention.

The authors suggest that early behavioral support may help reduce later risks. Parents and educators can encourage honesty by modeling truthful behavior, establishing clear and consistent expectations, using fair discipline, and helping children develop emotional regulation and impulse-control skills.

Strong family relationships and supportive parenting practices are also associated with lower risks of later antisocial behavior.

Limitations and Future Research

The authors acknowledge several limitations.

Lying was measured using a simple three-point rating scale, which could not distinguish between different motivations or types of dishonesty. For example, the study did not differentiate harmful lies from prosocial lies intended to protect another person's feelings.

In addition, parents and teachers could only rate lies they detected. Consequently, the findings reflect observable dishonesty rather than the total number of lies children actually told.

The sample also intentionally included an increased proportion of children with disruptive behavior, which may have strengthened the observed associations between lying and later criminal behavior. Furthermore, the analyses did not fully account for factors such as socioeconomic disadvantage or internalizing conditions including anxiety and depression.

The researchers recommend that future studies use more detailed measures of lying, distinguish between different forms of dishonesty, and continue following participants into later adulthood. A better understanding of chronic lying patterns could help identify children who would benefit most from early intervention.

Article prepared by Alex Morgan.