A survey in the literature of prospective and longitudinal studies was made investigating the association between externalizing behavior and underachievement in the period of 1990-2006. It was used PsycInfo, Medline, Lilacs, Scielo and Web of Science systems and it was selected and acquired 18 articles, classified in four categories: studies with clinical samples; studies comparing groups with or without comorbidity; studies that try to establish or to test models of developmental trajectory; studies of precursors of the association between behavior problems and underachievement. The analysis of articles evidences that the co-occurrence of underachievement and externalizing behavior suggests the influence of antecedent variables, such as adverse conditions in the family and low socio-economic level. It indicates that the association brings bad prognostic to the children, such as comorbidity with psychiatric disorders, later academic problems, and antisocial behavior, evidencing the psychosocial risk situation in that they are.
underachievement; externalizing behavior; ADHD; longitudinal study