A Developmental Perspective: Early Childhood Externalizing Behaviors Pathway to Delinquency in Adolescence

Early childhood externalizing behaviors are a known risk factor for future problem behaviors (e.g., poor achievement, delinquency). The present study seeks to illuminate the pathway of early childhood externalizing behaviors to five adolescent delinquency types (i.e., violent offenses, property offenses, illicit drug use, licit drug use, and minor offenses), in addition to overall delinquency. Study data came from two waves of the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (CNLSY-79; N = 855, 52.4% male, 24.1% Hispanic, 36.6% Black, and 39.1% white). Boys engaged in higher levels of violent and property crimes, and black youth were less likely to engage in substance use than white teens. Contrary to predictions, externalizing problems at ages 4-5 years were not directly associated with any form of adolescent delinquency. Instead, the combinations of high levels of early externalizing and low levels of spanking led to high illicit substance use, and for European American teens only, high externalizing predicted involvement in property crimes. These findings suggest that risk factors vary by delinquency type.

Name thesis:degree_name

MA

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Learning Sciences and Human Development

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Sias, Tandra Nicole

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kristin L. Moilanen
• Carol Markstrom
• Aaron Metzger.

• Educational psychology
• Criminology
• Developmental psychology

Identifier

https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/104

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-1107