To test whether parental behavior has an important impact on a child's behavior in later life, records describing home atmosphere during childhood were linked with records of subsequent criminality gathered when subjects were middle aged. Discriminant function analysis based on six variables describing home atmosphere was highly successful in identifying subjects who were to become criminals. Child-rearing appears to influence personality development. Predictions of adult criminality based on knowledge of home atmosphere were more accurate than chance as well as predictions based on subjects' juvenile criminal records. (Author/CS)