Research has shown that parental monitoring and interacting with deviant peers is associated with an increase in conduct disorder, above and beyond developmental trajectory. Pettit, Laird, Dodge, Bates and Criss (2001) assessed the effects of parental monitoring and psychological control (e.g., "my mother is always trying to change how I feel or think about things") among 438 early adolescents followed from 8-10 years old until the youth were 13-14 years old. Parents, the students, and teachers were asked to rate the externalizing behavior of the students when they were seventh graders. The sample was predominantly Caucasian American (81%; 17% African American; 2% other ethnic groups) with a relatively equal number of males (52%) and females (48%). The researchers found that higher levels of monitoring was associated with fewer future delinquent behaviors. Psychological control was associated with delinquent behaviors, but only for girls. More specifically, high levels of control were associated with more delinquent behaviors for girls who exhibited few delinquent behaviors preadolescence. High psychological control was also associated with more instances of anxiety and depression for girls who were high in preadolescent anxiety and depression. Pettit, Bates, Dodge, and Meece (1999) measured the amount of time spent with peers with no adult supervision, parental monitoring, and neighborhood safety. Using the same sample as the previous study, they found that engaging in externalizing problem behaviors in sixth grade was found to be the most predictive of conduct problems in seventh grade compared to the other antecedents. This should not be much of a surprise considering the relatively short interval between assessments. A lack of parental monitoring, including when the child is with his or her peers, and living in an unsafe neighborhood were also moderately strong predictors of future behavioral problems. However, the relationship between unsupervised peer contact and problem behaviors in seventh grade only held for those who had externalizing problems in sixth grade. This could support Patterson, DeBaryshe, and Ramsey's (1989) contention that engaging in deviant behaviors could lead to belonging to deviant peer groups. An interaction among unsupervised peer activity, parental monitoring, and living in an unsafe neighborhood revealed that those who lived in an unsafe neighborhood who had parents who did not monitor their actions and who spent much time with peers were at greatest risk for having conduct problems in seventh grade.