Informants’ reports of antisocial behaviour in preadolescence predict poor outcomes in early adulthood

Abstract

Abstract Background: Previous research found an association between antisocial behviour during different stages of childhood and negative outcomes in the future. The current study measures antisocial behaviour in preadolescents through four informants’ reports (mother, teachers, research workers, and selves) and its association with poor outcomes including conduct disorder, criminal offence, low educational achievement, and NEET (not in education, employment, or training) status in early adulthood. Method: Data was obtained from the E-Risk secondary sample of same-sex monozygotic and dizygotic twins (n=2,232). Antisocial behaviour was measured through correlations between pairs of informants’ reports and confirmatory factor analysis for the collective agreement between informants. Logistic regressions were run to test the associations between one informant report and its association with each poor outcome. Logistic regressions of factor loading scores for pairs of informants and collective informants’ reports were tested in association with each poor outcome. Sex and socioeconomic status (SES) were added to account for confounders. Results: There was a modest correlation between informants’ reports of antisocial behaviours at age 12 (p-value < .001). The total agreement between the four informants indicated a shared variance among mothers, teachers, and selves reports of antisocial behaviour at age 12 while the research workers’ contribution was less. Antisocial behaviours at age 12 were associated with poor outcomes at age 18 according to single informant reports, paired informant reports and collective informants’ reports. Sex and SES did not account for the association of long-term consequences in early adulthood. Males were at an increased risk for conduct disorder and criminal offence, and a decreased risk for low educational achievement and NEET. Low socioeconomic status increased the risk for poor outcomes in young adulthood but did not have an effect on conduct disorder. Conclusion: The findings support the link between antisocial behaviour at age 12 and poor outcomes at age 18. Mothers and their preadolescence showed high agreement in most outcomes which highlights the importance of adopting this measure in future research. Antisocial behaviours must be addressed at home, schools, and work for adjustment and treatment. One limitation is that the study was focused on the young adult population.