Young women's antisocial behavior and the later emotional and behavioral health of their children.

OBJECTIVES

Antisocial and criminal behavior are increasing among US youth, especially among females. Thus, questions arise concerning whether youthful female deviant behavior eventually will have negative behavioral and emotional consequences for the later children of these women.

METHODS

Associations between the severity of early female antisocial behavior (including both drug-related and non-drug related offenses) and the later behavioral and emotional health of the children of these women were examined among 1425 mother-child pairs of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

RESULTS

Multiple linear regression procedures indicated a significant positive relationship between the severity of the mothers' early non-drug-related offenses and the later severity of the children's scores on the Antisocial, Hyperactive, Anxious/Depressed, Headstrong, Peer Conflict/Social Withdrawal, Immature Dependency, and Total Problem subscales of the Behavior Problem Index.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated an association between the antisocial behavior of female youth and the later behavioral and emotional problems of the children of these women. Future research needs to determine the mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of these types of problems so that effective preventive and therapeutic public health practices may be designed and implemented.