The structure of self-reported aggression, drug use, and delinquent behaviors during early adolescence

Examined the structure of self-report scales designed to assess the frequen cy of adolescent problem behaviors. Urban (n = 988) and rural (n = 1,895) m iddle school students completed the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale (Farre ll, Danish, & Howard, 1992a) and measures of other relevant constructs. Con firmatory factor analyses supported a model that included specific factors related to aggression, drug use, and delinquent behaviors, and a higher ord er problem behavior factor. Findings did not support a distinction between physical and nonphysical aggression. Results were generally consistent acro ss settings (i.e., urban vs. rural) and gender. Other relevant constructs, including peer pressure for drug use and attitudes favoring aggression, had both specific associations with relevant first-order factors and more gene ral associations with the second-order factor. These findings support the c onstruction of separate scales assessing specific domains of problem behavi ors in studies of adolescents' problem behaviors.