NCJ Number
197704
Journal
Criminal Behavior and Mental Health Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: 2002 Pages: 99-118
Editor(s)
John Gunn,
Pamela J. Taylor,
David Farrington,
Mary McMurran
Date Published
2002
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study investigated disruptive and antisocial behavior in girls enrolled in the first phase of the Pittsburgh Girls Study (PGS). This longitudinal study addresses the nature and prevalence of early onset disruptive and antisocial behavior in girls, the identification of disruptive girls across theoretical disciplines, and how neighborhood quality impacts disruptive behavior rates.
Abstract
In recent years, crime among juvenile females has increased, however, little is known about the development and precursors in childhood of female delinquent behaviors. This study examined disruptive and antisocial behavior in girls enrolled in the first phase of the Pittsburgh Girls Study (PGS) in order to define and assess female antisocial behavior. Participants in the first phase of the longitudinal PGS consisted of 2,451 girls, aged 5- to 8-years-old living in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Data from the year 2000 U.S. Census were used to establish the proportion of girls in the study relative to girls living in each of the neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. Data were gathered from parents, teachers, and children from 7- to 8-years-old. Study results indicated that the teachers, compared with the parents, reported more inattentive problems, oppositional, and defiant behaviors among the older girls, and the 8-year-old girls reported more antisocial behavior than the 7-year-olds. However, due do the limited investigation into the nature and severity of disruptive problems in school, there are no standardized, empirically validated measures with established thresholds. The follow-up phases of the study will try to tease apart different developmental pathways and identify at what age persistent antisocial behaviors first appear. References