The relationship between attention problems in childhood and antisocial behavior eight years later.

Danish longitudinal population data indicated there was a significant, though weak, relationship between teacher ratings of attention problems in males at ages 10-13 and their cumulative arrest frequency eight years later. However, the child's IQ and maternal reports of his father's problems controlling alcohol intake moderated this relationship; once the variance in antisocial behavior due to these factors was removed, childhood attention problems did not account for any additional variance. These results raise the concern that previous findings of a relationship between clinically diagnosed attention deficit disorder-hyperactivity and later delinquency may be due in part to one or more third variables.