The Interplay Between Neuropsychological Deficits and Adverse Parenting in the Prediction of Adolescent Misconduct: A Partial Test of the Generalizability of Moffitt’s Theory

Abstract

A long line of research has revealed that neuropsychological and familial factors are associated with crime and delinquency. Although some studies have also examined the relevance of neuropsychological–familial interplay in the prediction of adolescent misconduct, scholars have yet to explore whether this interplay is generalizable across groups stratified by race and socioeconomic status (SES). The current study employs data drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) to examine whether race and SES condition the interactive effects of neuropsychological deficits and adverse parenting on adolescent misconduct (N = 7,155). The results reveal that interactions between neuropsychological deficits and adverse parenting during childhood are especially predictive of adolescent misconduct among relatively privileged subsets of the sample (i.e., White, high SES). Limitations are noted, and future avenues for research are discussed.