title: Developmental trajectories of girls' and boys' delinquency and associated problems.
abstract: Developmental trajectories in delinquency through adolescence were studied along with family and peer relationship problems. Drawing from eight waves of data over seven years, we conducted trajectory analyses with a sample of 746 students (402 girls; 344 boys). Analyzing girls and boys together, a five-class model emerged: 60% of the adolescents rarely reported delinquency; 27.7% reported low initial levels with moderate levels of delinquency over time; 6% in the late onset group reported initially low and rising levels of delinquency; 5% in the early onset group reported moderate initial levels which increased and then decreased in later adolescence. A small group of only boys (1.3%) labeled chronic reported high initial levels of delinquency that increased over time. Group comparisons revealed problems in internalizing, parent and peer relationship problems. The findings provide direction for early identification and interventions to curtail the development of delinquency.
authors.affiliation: LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada. pepler@yorku.ca
authors.forename: Debra J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pepler
authors.forename: Depeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Wendy M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Connolly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D012737:Sex Factors; D012925:Social Conformity; D012932:Social Facilitation; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires