Three alternative theories of the continuity of delinquent behavior throughout childhood and into adolescence were evaluated with a series of nested structural equation models in a sample of 840 middle adolescents. Longitudinal analyses revealed that childhood behavior problems were related directly and indirectly (through age-graded social control variables) to adolescent delinquency among boys. Childhood behavior problems had unmediated effects on girls' major delinquency but were only indirectly related to girls' minor delinquency.
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Mason et al. (2002) studied this question.
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