NCJ Number
189986
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 40 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 678-684
Editor(s)
Mina K. Dulcan M.D.
Date Published
June 2001
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study examined girls’ developmental trajectories of disruptive behaviors during the elementary school years and to predict conduct disorder symptoms and diagnosis in adolescence with trajectories of these behaviors.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to test whether girls with distinct trajectories of disruptive behaviors in childhood could be identified and whether higher-level trajectories were related to conduct disorder symptoms and diagnosis in adolescence. The study sample consisted of 820 girls from the province of Quebec followed over 10-years (1986-1996). The study was conducted on a non-clinical, population-based sample, using assessments of child behavior by a different teacher for every elementary school year, and assessments of conduct disorder by the adolescent. Four groups of girls following trajectories with distinct levels of disruptive behaviors were identified: a low, medium, medium-high, and high trajectory. Girls on trajectories reflecting higher levels of disruptive behaviors were likely to report higher numbers of conduct symptoms. Girls on the two highest trajectories had significantly higher rates of conduct disorder diagnosis in adolescence. The same results were found when the analyses were conducted on a sub-sample of girls representative of the Quebec population. The findings supported the idea that there was an early onset pathway for conduct disorder, at least for some girls. A clinical implication of the study was that early treatment and prevention of antisocial behavior may also be useful for girls, as they were for boys. References