Multilevel Correlates of Youth Delinquent Behaviors: An Exploratory Analysis of Socioeconomic Context, Psychological Traits, and Task-Based Neural Activation in the ABCD Study.

Findings suggest that youth delinquent behaviors are linked to impulsivity, socioeconomic adversity, and greater neural reactivity to emotional cues. These multilevel associations underscore the value of integrating behavioral, contextual, and neuroimaging data to understand early externalizing tendencies. Future longitudinal analyses should examine whether these correlates predict escalation or resilience in later adolescence.