Female and male antisocial trajectories: from childhood origins to adult outcomes

Dev Psychopathol. 2008 Spring;20(2):673-716. doi: 10.1017/S0954579408000333.

Abstract

This article reports on the childhood origins and adult outcomes of female versus male antisocial behavior trajectories in the Dunedin longitudinal study. Four antisocial behavior trajectory groups were identified among females and males using general growth mixture modeling and included life-course persistent (LCP), adolescent-onset, childhood-limited, and low trajectory groups. During childhood, both LCP females and males were characterized by social, familial and neurodevelopmental risk factors, whereas those on the adolescent-onset pathway were not. At age 32, women and men on the LCP pathway were engaging in serious violence and experiencing significant mental health, physical health, and economic problems. Females and males on the adolescent-onset pathway were also experiencing difficulties at age 32, although to a lesser extent. Although more males than females followed the LCP trajectory, findings support similarities across gender with respect to developmental trajectories of antisocial behavior and their associated childhood origins and adult consequences. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder / epidemiology
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder / psychology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Comorbidity
  • Conduct Disorder / diagnosis
  • Conduct Disorder / epidemiology
  • Conduct Disorder / psychology
  • Female
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Life Change Events
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis
  • Mental Disorders / epidemiology
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • New Zealand
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Socialization
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Violence / psychology
  • Violence / statistics & numerical data