Men tend to stay on the right side of the law while married

CAMBRIDGE, England, July 8 (UPI) -- Men who stayed on the right side of the law while married increased their criminality when the marriage broke down, researchers in Britain say.

Delphine Theobald of the Institute of Psychiatry in England and David P. Farrington of the University of Cambridge said they used data involving more than 400 men born in South London tracked for nearly 50 years.

The study, published in the journal Psychology, Crime & Law, found the effects of separation on patterns of criminality were clear: men whose offending reduced when they married increased their offending when that marriage broke down.

The authors suggested coming out of the routine of family life and becoming detached from social institutions might make men feel more vulnerable, give them more time to engage in undesirable behavior and cause them financial difficulties. The authors suggested these men "no longer have anything to lose."