Child and Adolescent Disposition Model: Examining the Developmental Patterns of Temperament and Conduct Problems

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

Developmental psychological and criminological research highlights that among serious violent young offenders a substantial number exhibited a developmental sequence of behavioral problems beginning in early childhood and developing in complexity and severity into adolescence. Developmental psychological research promotes temperament as a key risk factor for the expression of conduct problems given that (a) temperament emerges early in childhood and is relatively stable, and (b) a substantial body of research demonstrates concurrent and predictive validity across the life course. Less research has examined the development/stability of temperament and its subsequent impact on the development and stability of conduct problems. The present study seeks to merge two domains of research – forensic/developmental psychology and developmental criminology – to examine the co-occurring developmental patterns of temperament and conduct problems throughout childhood. First, between- and within-individual stability of temperament will be examined through correlational, latent growth curve modeling, and group based trajectory models. Second, ANOVA will be conducted to examine the association between the temperament trajectories and various forms of conduct problems throughout childhood. Data is obtained on children (3-8 yrs, n = 354) recruited from the Vancouver Longitudinal Study. Results will be discussed in light of developmental criminological theory, intervention, and criminal justice policy.

Authors

• Jeffrey R Mathesius, Simon Fraser University

• Patrick Lussier, Université Laval

• Raymond Corrado, Simon Fraser University