Do Conduct Problem Pathways Differ for Black and Minority Ethnic Children in the UK? An Examination of Trajectories from Early Childhood to Adolescence

Leslie Morrison Gutman

doi:10.1007/s10964-019-01116-w

Abstract

A substantial body of evidence has examined developmental pathways into and out of conduct problems. However, there is a dearth of research examining whether the same conduct problem pathways are evident in minority ethnic, as in white, populations. Drawing on the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a nationally representative longitudinal study of children born between 2000 and 2002, this study examines differences in group-based trajectories of conduct problems according to broad categories of ethnicity. Using pathways identified in a prior study (n = 17,206, 49% female, 18% ethnic minority), including persistently high (8%), childhood-limited (23%), adolescent-onset (13%), and low (56%), significant ethnic differences were found. As a result, trajectories of conduct problems were identified separately for Asian, black, mixed ethnicity, and white children. For Asian, black, and mixed ethnicity children, three trajectories were identified: persistently high, childhood-limited, and low, but not adolescent-onset. Although these pathways have similar labels, their patterns and shapes seem to differ among the three ethnic groups. For white children, the same four trajectory groups were identified as in the prior study. Risk factors also differed among the groups according to ethnicity, although a worse child-parent relationship was a significant predictor of the higher problem trajectories for all ethnic groups. Overall, the findings suggest that black and minority ethnic children may follow different developmental pathways of conduct problems than white children, particularly during adolescence, having implications for service use and early intervention.

Highlights

Conduct problems refer to behaviours under the conductoppositional spectrum, including those that are defiant, antisocial, and/or potentially harmful to others such as lying, stealing, physical aggression, and rule-breaking (American Psychiatric Association 2013)
Using group-based trajectories of conduct problems from ages 3 to 14 years previously identified in the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) (Gutman et al 2019), this study aims to fill this gap by examining ethnic differences in these heterogeneous trajectories and their early risk factors
The results show that white children had a higher probability of clinically meaningful conduct problems at age 11 compared to Asian children

Summary

Introduction

Conduct problems refer to behaviours under the conductoppositional spectrum, including those that are defiant, antisocial, and/or potentially harmful to others such as lying, stealing, physical aggression, and rule-breaking (American Psychiatric Association 2013). Research shows that conduct problems persisting through childhood and adolescence are a precursor to a wide range of adverse outcomes, in childhood, but throughout the life course and even extending into succeeding generations (see Gutman et al 2018a, for a review). A substantial body of evidence has examined developmental pathways of conduct problems (see Bevilacqua et al 2017, for a review). There is a dearth of research examining whether the same heterogeneous conduct problem pathways are evident in black and minority ethnic, as in white, children. Such an investigation, using population-based samples representing a wide socio-economic stratum, is essential in tailoring evidence-based and culturally-appropriate interventions. Using group-based trajectories of conduct problems from ages 3 to 14 years previously identified in the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) (Gutman et al 2019), this study aims to fill this gap by examining ethnic differences in these heterogeneous trajectories and their early risk factors

Objectives

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion