| Summary: Explores the role of closeness to mother and father and behavioural autonomy during adolescence in the development of anti-social behaviour. Based on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a large national representative sample of US adolescents. Identified four aggressive (abstainer, adolescent-limited, adult-onset, chronic) and three nonaggressive (adolescent-limited, adult-onset, chronic) trajectories. Members of the aggressive adult-onset trajectory reported higher levels of paternal closeness during adolescence compared to members of the aggressive chronic trajectory. Maternal closeness and behavioural autonomy did not differentially predict trajectory membership. Discusses implications and limitations of findings and suggests that investigating the role of fathers’ anti-social and aggressive behaviour in anti-social behaviour trajectories is an important next step. |
