Predicting early sexual activity with behavior problems exhibited at school entry and in early adolescence

Youth who initiate sexual intercourse in early adolescence (age 11-14) experience multiple risks, including concurrent adjustment problems and unsafe sexual practices. The current study tested two models describing the links between childhood precursors, early adolescent risk factors, and adolescent sexual activity: a cumulative model and a meditational model. A longitudinal sample of 694 boys and girls from four geographical locations was utilized, with data collected from kindergarten through high school. Structural equation models revealed that, irrespective of gender or race, high rates of aggressive disruptive behaviors and attention problems at school entry increased risk for a constellation of problem behaviors in middle school (school maladjustment, antisocial activity, and substance use) which, in turn, promoted the early initiation of sexual activity. Implications are discussed for developmental models of early sexual activity and for prevention programming.

Diagnostic threshold for conduct disorder in girls and boys

Concerns about gender bias in the diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder (CD) have prompted some researchers to recommend that the diagnostic threshold in girls be lowered. Since CD is a highly familial condition, the authors assessed the diagnostic validity of subthreshold CD in girls using family study methodology. They compared the rates of antisocial disorders (CD and antisocial personality disorder) in relatives of four groups of index children: children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and full, subthreshold, or no CD diagnoses and non-ADHD/non-CD control subjects. Results showed no interaction between gender and familiality across the four groups. Furthermore, there was no significant evidence of familiality of subthreshold CD. From a family genetic perspective, the diagnostic threshold for CD does not appear to differ by gender. The current results support the possibility that differential rates of CD reflect actual differences in rates of antisocial behavior across gender.