We agree with the reviewer that there is no easy answer to this problem. We now include a discussion of this in the introduction and cite Lynam and colleagues on this exact dilemma. In their paper, they discuss the Perils of Partialing (p.4, line 15), which is what you do when you control for the overlap. That is, one may be removing the reliable aspect of the self-report measures of aggression (when they are highly correlated) and remaining with residual error.
Round 1: and Author Response This manuscript reports on person-centered analysis of adolescent girls finding that they are distinguished by types of aggression, callous-unemotional traits, and by interpersonal relationships with peers and parents.