statistically significant, were small to moderate in size, and did not move most youth into “normative” levels of aggression. Alternatively, the negative cascade model, while descriptive, may not be causal. That is, although early aggression may indicate risk for precocious substance use and sexual activity, additional factors may contribute to both aggression and the other outcomes. For example, theorists have also speculated that poor self-regulation and related deficits in key areas of neuropsychological functioning contribute both to over-reactive aggressive responding and also to learning difficulties and impulsive decision-making, including decisions regarding substance use and sexual activity (Crockett et al. 2006; Zimmer-Gembeck et al. 2004). In the present study, kindergarten cognitive skills, including elevated inattention and lower levels of cognitive ability, significantly predicted the earlier initiation of sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy involvement for boys and girls. A critical question for future prevention design is the degree to which these early cognitive skills are malleable in psychosocial interventions and, if so, whether improvements reduce risk for early and unprotected sexual activity.
