Hidden Paths: Group-Based Trajectories and Predictors of Internalizing Problem Behaviors from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade

Using nationally representative ECLS-K:2011 data (N=17,630), this study used group-based trajectory modeling,  to identify four distinct internalizing-behavior trajectories from kindergarten to fifth grade and multinomial regression to test demographic, behavioral, and cognitive predictors. Results highlight Gender, Race, SES, externalizing problems, and cognitive flexibility as powerful risk and protective factors.