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Purpose To examine the cross-lagged associations between delinquency (nonviolent and violent), depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescence and to test the moderating effect of sex and family socioeconomic status (SES). Methods Participants (n=1,515) were from a birth cohort in the Canadian province of Quebec. Autoregressive cross-lagged panel analyses were used to examine the associations between delinquency (nonviolent and violent), depression and anxiety symptoms from ages 15 to 17 years, while taking into account conduct and emotional problems at ages 10-12 years. Results Findings suggest that delinquency (violent delinquency especially) and depression symptoms may develop according to a spiraling model, such that conduct problems in childhood give rise to depression symptoms in mid-adolescence, which in turn, contribute to more delinquent acts at the end of adolescence. Family SES, but not sex, had a moderating effect on the paths. We found that anxiety symptoms at age 15 years were associated with nonviolent delinquency at age 17 years when family SES was low, and that violent delinquency at age 15 years was associated with anxiety symptoms at age 17 years when family SES was high. Conclusions Delinquency and emotional problems do not develop independently from each other; both dimensions should be examined simultaneously.

Purpose To identify compensatory/protective factors in pre-adolescence and in mid-adolescence against late adolescence violent delinquency in a sample of kindergarten males from low socioeconomic environments. The selected factors concerned modifiable elements of their family (parental supervision), school (school engagement), and personal life (perceived legitimacy of legal authorities). Methods Participants were from the Montreal Longitudinal and Experimental Study, a prospective longitudinal study of 1037 kindergarten boys from disadvantaged neighborhoods. We used latent profile analysis to identify at-risk and non-at-risk behavioral profiles in kindergarten and regression analyses to test the putative compensatory/protective factors against late adolescence violent delinquency. Results We identified three at-risk behavioral profiles in kindergarten (i.e., Low, Moderate, and High aggressive–disruptive). Perceived legitimacy of legal authorities, parental supervision and school engagement were identified as compensatory and/or protective factors in pre-adolescence and mid-adolescence against violent delinquency in late adolescence. The relative influence and the specific role of these factors depended, however, on the developmental period examined (pre-adolescence vs. mid-adolescence). Conclusions Interventions for high risk kindergarten children that aim to foster positive social bonds with the community (including legal authorities), family and school probably need to start early in elementary school and continue until late adolescence to prevent violent delinquency during adolescence.