We sought to describe developmental profiles of externalizing problems and to predict them using an actuarial model of risk and protective factors. In other words, given inputs for each child (various child and environmental characteristics), we predicted his or her most likely output (i.e., trajectory of externalizing problems from childhood to adulthood). To do this, we combined different sources of ratings (mother-, teacher-, father-, peer- and self-reports) and different scales of externalizing problems, capitalizing on all of the available information to create a more robust externalizing profile. To render the ratings from different sources and scales conceptually and empirically comparable while still retaining mean-level change to observe meaningful change over time, we used the POM proportional scoring metric along with additional theoretical and empirical considerations. Modeling the trajectories of externalizing problems from childhood to adulthood while taking into account the heterotypic continuity of externalizing behavior allowed us to better understand 1) the patterns of developmental change in externalizing problems over a long span of development, 2) the risk and protective factors that predict the development of externalizing problems, and 3)
