William Atkins
Sunday, 18 January 2009 20:16
Science -
Biology
Page 2 of 4
In the survey, participants filled out questionnaires on such topics as truancy, daydreaming, restlessness, and general behavioral problems while in school.
Colman and his team focused on questionnaires filled out when the test subjects reached the ages of 13 and 15, and looked at indications of conduct problems at school, including disobedience, lying, truancy, responding poorly to discipline and being restless or daydreaming.
The researchers found that these children grew up to be adults with many problems associated with
“[m]ental disorder, alcohol abuse, relationship difficulties, highest level of education, social class, unemployment, and financial difficulties at ages 36-53."
Specifically, the researcher divided the subjects into three groups. They placed 348 people into the
“severe externalizing behavior” group, 1,051 into the
“mild externalizing behavior” group, and 2,253 into the
“no externalizing behavior” group.
They found that the adolescents who had severe externalizing behaviors, as opposed to those with mild externalizing behaviors, were 65.2% more likely to have such negative behaviors as adults.
In addition, those with mild externalizing behaviors, as compared to those with no externalizing behaviors, were 52.2% more likely to have such behaviors as adults.
They stated,
“On a composite measure of global adversity throughout adulthood that included mental health, family life and relationships, and educational and economic problems, those with severe externalising behaviour scored significantly higher (40.1% in top quarter), as did those with mild externalising behaviour (28.3%), compared with those with no externalising behaviour (17.0%).”
Page three talks about why even mildly problemtic children are at increased risk to become troubled adults.
