The goal of this report was to delineate, for the first time to our knowledge, the contributions of genetic and environmental etiologic influences to the individual DSM-III-R criteria for CD and, in the process, advance conceptualization of distinctive dimensions underlying CD symptoms. Our best-fitting model indicated 3 familial common factors (2 genetic and 1 shared environmental) and 1 nonshared environmental common factor contributing to CD symptoms, along with criterion-specific genetic and nonshared environmental factors. Each of the 3 familial factors exhibited readily interpretable loadings for individual CD criteria. Consistent with prediction, the 2 genetic factors coincided with dimensions identified most consistently in prior work. The first evidenced strongest loadings for select CD criteria reflecting rule-breaking or authority-challenging behaviors. The second showed substantial loadings for 3 other criteria that reflected public, interpersonal aggressive acts. We pro posed the label overt aggression for this factor. The shared environmental common factor evidenced strong loadings for 5 CD criteria, 4 reflecting less readily observable antisocial behaviors directed at nonhuman targets and the fifth (telling lies) entailing concealment by definition. We proposed the term covert
