Gender specific and common developmental trajectories of aggression, delinquency, and substance use across middle school: The role of deviant peer association and sensation seeking

During adolescence, increases are observed in rates of aggression, delinquency, and drug use with strong evidence of differences between males and females. Future prevention efforts would be greatly aided by a better understanding of gender specific and common pathways to drug use that incorporate interconnections with pathways to aggression/delinquency. The current study evaluated bi-directional and temporal associations between drug use and aggression/delinquency across 6th, 7th, and 8th grades using data available from the control group of an evaluation of a drug use and violence prevention program. Group-based trajectory analysis revealed trajectories of aggression, delinquency, and substance use which support the existence of both adolescent-limited and life-course persistent offenders. In addition, unexpected patterns of increasing/decreasing change were observed during middle school for both aggression and delinquency. Clear temporal associations were observed between developmental changes in aggression, delinquency, and substance use. There were few gender differences in the developmental progression of these problem behaviors during middle school with only two exceptions, males were more like to follow trajectories of increasing/decreasing aggression and high stable delinquency. Evaluations of ethnic/racial differences in the trajectory group membership revealed that significantly more African American adolescents followed trajectories of increasing/decreasing, high increasing, and chronic high aggression and delinquency compared to Latino and White/other adolescents. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed a more pronounced influence of sensation seeking and deviant peer association on the development of antisocial behaviors among females compared to males. In addition, individual changes in sensation seeking conferred a stronger risk for aggression among Latinos compared to other race/ethnicities. Changes in association with delinquent peers were less influential for Latinos compared to other race/ethnicities. Finally, associations between sensation seeking and delinquent peer association on substance use were partially mediated by individual changes in both aggressive and delinquent behavior. The results of this study provide important information regarding interconnections between developmental changes in antisocial behavior that occur during the middle school years. The knowledge gained from this study regarding individual and contextual factors and their connection to pathways for drug use and aggression/delinquency will inform etiology of drug use, drug prevention content, and program implementation strategies.