Antisocial behavior: more enduring than changeable?

This paper challenges the notion that many children outgrow early conduct problems. It explores factors that may have led to researchers' underestimating the stability of antisocial behaviors, especially because these behaviors manifest themselves differently in various phases of the life course. In addition, data suggest that the malleability of child behaviors decreases as children grow older, contributing to a higher continuity of antisocial behavior possibly from early adolescence onward. Implications are discussed for the study and intervention of antisocial behavior.