Early risk factors for conduct problem trajectories from childhood to adolescence: the 2004 Pelotas (BRAZIL) Birth Cohort.

Conduct problems are associated with an increased risk of a wide range of physical, mental, and social problems. However, there is still uncertainty about how early risk factors differentiate different developmental patterns of conduct problems and whether findings replicate across diverse social contexts. We aimed to identify developmental trajectories of conduct problems, and test early risk factors, in the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort in Brazil. Conduct problems were measured at ages 4, 6, 11, and 15 years from caregiver reports on the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Conduct problem trajectories were estimated using group-based semi-parametric modeling (n = 3938). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between early risk factors and conduct problem trajectories. We identified four trajectories: three with elevated conduct problems, including early-onset persistent (n = 150; 3.8%), adolescence-onset (n = 286; 17.3%), and childhood-limited (n = 697; 17.7%), and one with low conduct problems (n = 2805; 71.2%). The three elevated conduct problem trajectories were associated with a wide range of sociodemographic risk factors, prenatal smoking, maternal mental health, harsh parenting, childhood trauma, and child neurodevelopmental risk factors. Early-onset persistent conduct problems were particularly associated with trauma, living without a father figure, and attention difficulties. The four trajectories of conduct problems from ages 4 to 15 years in this Brazilian cohort have similar longitudinal patterns to those identified in high-income countries. The results confirm previous longitudinal research and developmental taxonomic theories on the etiology of conduct problems in a Brazilian sample.

Early life exposure to lead and its association with parent-reported aggression and conduct problems during childhood and adolescence.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: An association between lead (Pb) exposure and antisocial behaviors has been documented, but findings have been inconclusive. We aimed to estimate the association between prenatal, early childhood, and preadolescent/adolescent (periadolescent) Pb exposure and aggression and conduct problems in periadolescent residents of Mexico City. METHODS: Using information from the ELEMENT cohort study, we assessed prenatal Pb exposure through maternal patella Pb (MPPb) measurement during the puerperium, early childhood (birth to 5 years of age) exposure through a cumulative blood lead index (CBLI), and periadolescent exposure through a blood Pb (BPb) measurement concurrent with the evaluation of the outcomes. Outcomes were assessed during periadolescence using the parent-reported scales of aggression and conduct problems of the Behavioral Assessment System for Children-2nd version (BASC-2). We modeled the association between Pb exposure at each stage and each outcome (defined as a T-score ≥60 in the corresponding behavioral scale) using logistic regression, adjusting for sex, maternal age at delivery, maternal education, and household socioeconomic status (SES). The differential effect by sex was assessed with an interaction term in the models. RESULTS: 743, 704, and 595 participants were respectively eligible for inclusion in final models of prenatal, early childhood, and periadolescent Pb exposure. Median Pb exposure at each stage was 9.9 µg/g for MPPb (prenatal), 5.19 µg/dl for CBLI (early childhood), and 2.62 µg/dl for concurrent BPb (periadolescence). 12 % of participants met the criterion for aggression, and 15 % for conduct problems. In adjusted models, a one interquartile range increase in MPPb increased the odds of conduct problems (OR:1.31; 95 % CI: 1.01, 1.70) and aggression (OR=1.24; 95 % CI: 0.93, 1.65) during periadolescence. Pb exposure during early childhood or periadolescence was not associated with either outcome. We found no evidence of interactions by sex. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to Pb during the prenatal stage was associated with aggression and conduct problems during periadolescence.

The Moderating Role of Maternal Praise and Positivity in the Association Between Callous-Unemotional (CU) Traits and Later Aggression: A Prospective Study in Preschool Children in Colombia.

Our previous findings in the UK and Colombia show that CU traits predict later aggression specifically among children who are already aggressive. We hypothesised that this effect would be reduced in the presence of maternal praise and positivity. In a sample of 220 mothers and children from Colombia, mother-child interactions were coded for maternal praise and positivity, and mothers reported on children's CU traits at age 3.5 and aggression at ages 3.5 and 5 years. The results show three-way interactions between CU traits, child aggression and observed parenting at age 3.5 years in the prediction of later child aggression, and two-way interactions indicating a protective effect of positive parenting in the high aggressive children. Based on our finding, it is plausible that positive parenting may modify the effect of CU traits in the highly vulnerable group of children who are already aggressive in early childhood.

Effects of a Teacher-Training Violence Prevention Program in Jamaican Preschools on Child Behavior, Academic Achievement, and School Attendance in Grade One of Primary School: Follow up of a Cluster Randomized Trial.

Objective: We evaluated the effect of a universal, teacher-training, violence-prevention program implemented in preschool, on high-risk children's behavior, achievement, and attendance in grade one of primary school. Methods: A cluster-randomized trial was conducted in 24 preschools in Kingston, Jamaica. Three children from each class with the highest level of teacher-reported conduct problems were recruited for evaluation of outcomes (n = 225 children). For this study, to increase power, we recruited an additional two children from each class with the next highest teacher-reported scores for conduct problems in preschool. In the final term of grade one of primary school, we assessed children's: (1) conduct problems and social skills at home and school, (2) academic achievement, language, and self-regulation skills, and (3) school attendance. Results: 214/225 (95.1%) of the children evaluated in preschool were assessed in grade one of primary school; an additional 150 children were recruited to give 364 children (181 intervention, 183 control). Significant benefits of intervention were found for child academic achievement (Effect size (ES) = 0.23, p = 0.02), oral language (ES = 0.28, p = 0.006), self-regulation (ES = 0.25, p = 0.007), and school attendance (ES = 0.30, p = 0.003). No significant benefits were found for observed conduct problems (ES = -0.13, p = 0.16), and parent-reported conduct problems (ES = 0.10, p = 0.31) and social skills (ES = -0.07, p = 0.52). Benefits to teacher-reported conduct problems and social skills were significant at p < 0.1 (ES = -0.16, p = 0.09, and ES = 0.19, p = 0.06, respectively). Conclusion: A scalable intervention involving training preschool teachers in classroom behavior management and how to promote child social-emotional competence led to positive outcomes in primary school across multiple child developmental domains for high-risk children.

Childhood abuse and externalizing behavior among immigrant high school students.

There is a current lack of data on the relation between childhood abuse and behavior problems in recently immigrated Latino youth and potential protective factors. This study sought to assess rates of abuse, explore relations between abuse and behavior problems, and examine peer attachment as a possible moderator in 76 recently immigrated high school students. High rates of prior abuse were observed: 36.84% emotional abuse, 22.37% physical abuse, and 9.21% sexual abuse. Emotional abuse was associated with conduct problems (B = 4.19, 95% CI [3.88, 9.39], t = 2.23, p = .028). In the context of physical abuse, peer attachment played a significant, mitigating role on conduct problems (B = -.02, 95% CI [-.05, .00], t = -1.10, p = .049). Results require replication but suggest a critical need for attention to immigrant youth as a highly victimized sample with a high risk for conduct problems.

Young Adolescents' Digital Technology Use, Perceived Impairments, and Well-Being in a Representative Sample.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the cross-sectional associations between young adolescents' access, use, and perceived impairments related to digital technologies and their academic, psychological, and physical well-being. STUDY DESIGN: There were 2104 adolescents (ages 10-15 years), representative of the North Carolina Public School population, who completed questionnaires in 2015. Administrative educational records were linked with parental consent. RESULTS: Nearly all young adolescents (95%) had Internet access, 67% owned a mobile phone, and 68% had a social media account. Mobile phone ownership was not associated with any indicators of well-being (math and reading test scores, school belonging, psychological distress, conduct problems, or physical health) after controlling for demographic factors. Having a social media account and frequency of social media use were only robustly associated with conduct problems (explaining ∼3% of the variation in conduct problems). Despite the lack of strong associations, 91% of adolescents reported at least 1 perceived technology-related impairment and 29% of adolescents reported online-to-offline spillover of negative experiences. Economically disadvantaged adolescents reported similar access, but greater online-to-offline spillover and stronger associations between social media account ownership and poor psychological well-being compared with their more affluent peers. CONCLUSIONS: At the population level, there was little evidence that digital technology access and use is negatively associated with young adolescents' well-being. Youth from economically disadvantaged families were equally likely to have access to digital technologies, but were more likely than their more affluent peers to report negative online experiences. Closing the digital divide requires prioritizing equity in experiences and opportunities, as well as in access.

Social-Emotional Functioning Explains the Effects of Physical Activity on Academic Performance among Chinese Primary School Students: A Mediation Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the mediating effects of socioemotional and behavioral functioning in the association between physical activity and academic achievement in Chinese children. STUDY DESIGN: Chinese children (n = 17 318; aged 6-11 years) from the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation study in 2014 were the source of data. Children reported the time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activities (MVPA) during weekdays and weekends. Parents rated their children's socioemotional and behavioral difficulties. Head teachers rated the academic performance of each student. A mediation analysis with multiple mediators was performed to test the mediation effects of 5 socioemotional and behavioral variables (emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity and inattention, peer relationship, and prosocial behaviors) in the association between MVPA and academic achievement, adjusting for demographic and health-related variables. RESULTS: Results revealed that MVPA was positively associated with academic performance (b = 0.78; SE = .01; P < .001). Conduct problems, hyperactivity and inattention, and peer problems showed significant mediating effects in the association between MVPA and academic achievement, with hyperactivity and inattention being the strongest mediator (b = 0.38; SE = 0.04; P < .001) accounting for 49% of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that MVPA is associated with fewer socioemotional difficulties, which, in turn, is associated with better academic achievement. Promoting physical activity among school-aged children may benefit their overall development.

Short-Term Effects on Family Communication and Adolescent Conduct Problems: Familias Unidas in Ecuador.

Familias Unidas, a Hispanic/Latino-specific, parent-centered intervention, found to be efficacious in improving family functioning and reducing externalizing behaviors among youth in the USA, was recently adapted and tested for use in Ecuador. This study examined the short-term efficacy of Familias Unidas in Ecuador on parent-adolescent communication, parental monitoring of peers, and youth conduct problems. Two hundred thirty-nine youths (ages 12-14 years) and their primary care givers were randomized to either Familias Unidas or Community Practice and assessed pre- and post-intervention. There was a significant difference between Familias Unidas and Community Practice in conduct problems at 3 months (standardized ß = -.101, p = .001, effect size = .262). A significant indirect intervention effect was also detected, indicating that Familias Unidas predicted conduct problems at 3 months through parent-adolescent communication at 3 months (standardized ß = -.036, p = .016, CI 95% [-.066, -.007], effect size = .265). Familias Unidas was efficacious in reducing conduct problems through improved parent-adolescent communication, relative to Community Practice. Future assessments will determine whether Familias Unidas also has an impact on substance use and sexual risk behaviors at later time points, as demonstrated in past Familias Unidas trials. The short-term effects of the intervention, family engagement, and facilitator skill in the Ecuadorian adaptation of Familias Unidas are promising. This study implies that an intervention developed for Hispanics/Latinos in the USA and culturally adapted and implemented for use by Hispanics/Latinos in a Latin American country can be efficacious in improving family functioning and reducing youth conduct problems. TRIAL REGISTRATION: MSP-DIS-2015-0055-0, Ministry of Public Health (MSP), Ecuador.

Perinatal and sociodemographic factors at birth predicting conduct problems and violence to age 18 years: comparison of Brazilian and British birth cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Many low- and middle-income countries have high levels of violence. Research in high-income countries shows that risk factors in the perinatal period are significant precursors of conduct problems which can develop into violence. It is not known whether the same early influences are important in lower income settings with higher rates of violence. This study compared perinatal and sociodemographic risk factors between Brazil and Britain, and their role in explaining higher rates of conduct problems and violence in Brazil. METHODS: Prospective population-based birth cohort studies were conducted in Pelotas, Brazil (N = 3,618) and Avon, Britain (N = 4,103). Eleven perinatal and sociodemographic risk factors were measured in questionnaires completed by mothers during the perinatal period. Conduct problems were measured in questionnaires completed by mothers at age 11, and violence in self-report questionnaires completed by adolescents at age 18. RESULTS: Conduct problems were predicted by similar risk factors in Brazil and Britain. Female violence was predicted by several of the same risk factors in both countries. However, male violence in Brazil was associated with only one risk factor, and several risk factor associations were weaker in Brazil than in Britain for both females and males. Almost 20% of the higher risk for conduct problems in Brazil compared to Britain was explained by differential exposure to risk factors. The percentage of the cross-national difference in violence explained by early risk factors was 15% for females and 8% for males. CONCLUSIONS: A nontrivial proportion of cross-national differences in antisocial behaviour are related to perinatal and sociodemographic conditions at the start of life. However, risk factor associations are weaker in Brazil than in Britain, and influences in other developmental periods are probably of particular importance for understanding male youth violence in Brazil.

¿Está mediada la gravedad delictiva y cronicidad de los delincuentes juveniles por la competencia cognitivo-comportamental? / Is Offence Severity and the Chronicity of Juvenile Delinquency Mediated by Cognitive-Behavioural Competence?

El estudio de la relación de los problemas de conducta con la competencia cognitiva y comportamental se ha convertido en un referente continuo en la literatura científica. A este respecto, los modelos de Riesgo-Necesidades-Responsividad (RNR) y de la criminología del desarrollo prevén que el nivel de problemas de conducta esté asociado al grado de desarrollo de la competencia cognitiva y comportamental. Desde una perspectiva legal, los problemas de conducta se identifican con la delincuencia, estableciéndose niveles según la gravedad delictiva (delitos con vs. sin violencia) y del delincuente (primarios vs. reincidentes). Para comprobar si estos niveles se reflejan en la competencia cognitiva y comportamental, 283 adolescentes que estaban cumpliendo una condena judicial, 139 (68 reincidentes y 71 primarios) habían cometido un delito violento y 144 sin violencia (77 reincidentes y 67 primarios), fueron evaluados en las medidas de referencia de la competencia cognitiva (e. g., regulación emocional, autoconcepto, atribución de la responsabilidad, resolución de problemas) y comportamental. Los resultados mostraron que la gravedad delictiva es independiente de la competencia cognitiva y comportamental y que la delincuencia crónica se relaciona con menor competencia. De estos resultados se derivan consecuencias para el tratamiento de los delincuentes juveniles y para la duración de las condenas que se discuten.

The correspondence between juvenile delinquency and cognitive-behavioural competence has been the subject of ongoing concern in the scientific literature. Developmental criminology and Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) models have associated offence severity and the chronicity of juvenile delinquency to the degree of cognitive-behavioural development. In terms of the juvenile justice system, delinquent behaviour is classified according to offence severity (violent vs. non-violent offences), and the type of offender (first-time offender vs. chronic offender). In order to assess the nexus between chronic delinquent behaviour and the degree of cognitive-behavioural competence, 283 juveniles serving custodial sentences, 139 for violent offences (71 first-time offenders and 68 reoffenders), and 144 for non-violent offences (77 reoffenders and 67 first-time offenders), were assessed in terms of cognitive (e.g., regulation emotional, self-concept, attribution of responsibility, problem-solving skills) and behavioural competence. The results revealed that offence severity was not mediated by the level of cognitive-behavioural competence, and chronic delinquency was linked to low levels of competence. The results are discussed in the light of juvenile delinquency treatment programmes and sentencing.

Problemas de conducta en niños víctimas de violencia familiar: reporte de profesores / Conduct problems in young victims of family abuse: teachers' report

El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar la relación de los problemas de conducta que los niños presentan en la escuela y el maltrato infantil. La muestra la constituyeron 110 menores; 61 fueron identificados como maltratados y 50 fueron de la población general. Se aplicó la lista de chequeo de Achenbach (Achenbach, 1991; Achenbach & McConaughy, 1997) a los maestros, así como la Escala de Tácticas de Conflicto de Straus et al. (1998), la de Depresión de Hamilton (1959), obteniendo también variables demográficas de los niños. Se probó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales en donde la variable dependiente fueron los problemas de conducta y las independientes la violencia familiar y la depresión. Los resultados indican que el maltrato tuvo un efecto significativo en los problemas de conducta de los menores, mediada por la depresión. Concluimos que los profesores deben ser entrenados en la detección y atención del maltrato infantil para prevenir problemas sociales graves como la delincuencia.

The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between conduct problems that children display at school and child abuse. The sample was constituted by 110 minors; 61 were identified as abused and 50 were from the general population. Achenbach's checklist (Achenbach, 1991; Achenbach & McConaughy, 1997) was administered to teachers, and Straus et al.'s (1998) Tactics of Conflict Scale and Hamilton's (1959) Depression Scale were administered to children. Demographic variables were also considered. A structural equations model was tested wherein the dependent variable was conduct problems, while family violence and depression were the independent variables. Results indicated that child abuse had an indirect effect on children's conduct problems, which was mediated by depression. We concluded that teachers should be trained in detecting and attending child abuse in order to prevent further serious social problems such as delinquency.