is accounted for more directly and fully by child externalizing problems. However, a very interesting significant path was found between diminished late childhood social competence and increases in late adolescent externalizing problems. This effect is above and beyond the influence of stability in externalizing difficulties stemming from the childhood years. Moreover, it is noteworthy that this pathway also links early childhood internalizing problems to increases in late adolescent antisocial behaviors via diminished social competence in late childhood. Thus, cascading influences across development among the three domains are demonstrated, and these linkages again are sequelae of early maltreatment experiences. The externalizing stability pathway from child maltreatment to late adolescent externalizing problems is suggestive of Moffitt’s (1993) life course persistent trajectory, whereas the cascading pathway from maltreatment to early internalizing difficulties to late childhood decrements in social competence to increases in late adolescent antisocial behavior may reflect youth following an adolescent onset or adolescent limited trajectory.
