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Article
Developmental Trajectories of Physical Aggression and Nonaggressive Rule-Breaking During Late Childhood and Early Adolescence
USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications
  • Eugena M. Givens
  • Joan A Reid, University of South Florida St. Petersburg
SelectedWorks Author Profiles:

Joan A. Reid

Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2019
Abstract

Research has consistently linked two forms of childhood antisocial behavior, physical aggression and nonaggressive rulebreaking, to adolescent delinquency. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the development of problem behavior during the latter years of childhood and early adolescence (ages 6 to 14). The current study utilized longitudinal data that followed 756 at-risk males and females from early childhood into early adolescence to identify trajectories of physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking and the association between documented risk factors with class membership. The findings supported a four-class model for both physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking. Both models produced high, moderately high, average, and abstaining classes. However, the physical aggression models decreased as participants aged, while the nonaggressive rule-breaking classes increased. Family adversity, protective neighborhoods, negative child temperament, premature birth, race, and gender were associated with class membership. The study findings may inform targeted, problem-specific strategies aimed at early intervention.

Publisher
SAGE
Citation Information
Eugena M. Givens & Joan A. Reid (2019). Developmental Trajectories of Physical Aggression and Nonaggressive Rule-Breaking during Late Childhood and Early Adolescence. Criminal Justice & Behavior 46(3), 395–414. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854818803652