In contrast to a number of previous research studies employing alternate designs [10], we did not observe statistically significant interactive effects of inherited liability and maltreatment on antisocial development, despite the fact that our observations of the influence of inherited factors were highly in keeping with those of previous studies. There are many possible reasons for this discrepancy in study outcomes. Use of official-report data results in the inclusion of severe forms of maltreatment that may be under-represented in studies relying on self-report. Although the presence of official-report of maltreatment may be a more specific indicator of environmental liability than any other known marker, the absence of such a report may underestimate such influence on the basis of a) instances of maltreatment that go unreported or b) in the case of Missouri, the expungement of some of the records after a specified number of years. Finally, our clinical sample of lower-familial-liability subjects may not have been large enough to demonstrate interactive effects. This study capitalized on the ability to consider the totality of inherited influences on antisocial outcome (rather than
