They also observed, however, that these risk factors may be markers of other causal processes or may mediate the effects of each other (e.g., poverty may influence externalizing behavior in part via its effect on parenting). To clarify the independent roles of these risk factors in the development of externalizing problems, we evaluated many of these domains of processes identified by Dodge and colleagues. Risk domains evaluated in the present study include demographic characteristics, aspects of parenting, parental adjustment, peer influences, child characteristics, stress, pregnancy, family background, and child activities. We selected risk and protective factors on the basis of previous studies’ findings. Even if their mechanisms in the development of externalizing problems are not fully explained, successful prediction promotes prevention, targeted intervention, better choice of intervention and also aids, ultimately, in the development of process models (Sutton, 1998). Below we list risk factors selected for the present study, and the research supporting their selection:
