The intergenerational continuity of antisocial behavior

The proposed analysis examines the influence of parenting and parent\u27s antisocial behavior on adolescent antisocial behavior using longitudinal data from approximately two hundred intact families, a total that varied slightly depending on the gender of the target child;Data for this project was originally generated on economic hardship, family relationships, and psychological well-being as part of the Iowa Youth and Families Project (IYFP). Permission to use this data was granted by the principle investigators of the project. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the relationships between constructs across both waves;The sample was selected from a population of families living in eight, primarily agricultural, counties in North Central Iowa. Fifty-four percent of the sample lived in small communities with populations of less than 6,500 people. Twelve percent of the sample population lived in rural areas, and 34% of the sample resided on farms. Each family had a child enrolled in a public or private school in the seventh grade during the 1989 school year and a sibling within four years of age of the seventh grade child. From the list of families meeting the specified criteria, seventy-eight percent agreed to participate in this study;Data were gathered over a three year period. Wave 1 data contained information pertaining to grandparents\u27 parenting and antisocial behavior. Wave 3 data formed the indices for the observable constructs of father\u27s and mother\u27s antisocial behavior as well as the construct of father\u27s and mother\u27s parenting. The measure used as the index for the parenting construct was obtained by means of self-report data obtained from the respective parent. Wave 3 data were also used to develop the measure for adolescent antisocial behavior using target\u27s self-report of their level of delinquency and substance abuse;Findings suggest modeling is less of a factor in the development and expression of antisocial behavior than is parenting. These findings support claims that parenting and its influence on behavioral dispositions appears to be consistent across generations