Developmental origins of disruptive behaviour problems: the ‘original sin’ hypothesis, epigenetics and their consequences for prevention
Abstract
This paper reviews publications on developmental trajectories of disruptive behaviour (DB) problems (aggression, opposition-defiance, rule breaking, and stealing-vandalism) over the past decade. Prior to these studies two theoretical models had strongly influenced research on DB: social learning and disease onset. According to these developmental perspectives, children learn DB from their environment and onset of the disease is triggered by accumulated exposition to disruptive models in the environment, including the media. Most of the evidence came from studies of school age children and adolescents. Longitudinal studies tracing developmental trajectories of DB from early childhood onwards suggest an inversed developmental process. DB are universal during early childhood. With age, children learn socially acceptable behaviours from interactions with their environment. A 'disease' status is given to children who fail to learn the socially acceptable behaviours. The mechanisms that lead to deficits in using socially accepted behaviours are strongly intergenerational, based on complex genetic and environmental contributions, including epigenetic mechanisms. Prevention of these deficits requires early, intensive and long-term support to parents and child. Newly discovered epigenetic mechanisms suggest that intensive perinatal interventions will have impacts on numerous aspects of physical and mental health, including DB. This review also concludes that: a) subtypes of disruptive…
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Antisocial behavior has been shown to be rather stable in detained adolescents.
“because antisocial behavior has been shown to be rather stable in detained adolescents (Eltink et al., 2018; Tremblay, 2010)”
From Safety First! Residential Group Climate and Antisocial Behavior: A Multilevel Meta-analysis (2025) · cites this paper as Tremblay, 2010
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Self-citationSafety First! Residential Group Climate and Antisocial Behavior: A Multilevel Meta-analysis
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“…of clients is an important finding, because antisocial behavior has been shown to be rather stable in detained adolescents (Eltink et al., 2018; Tremblay, 2010), which may be difficult to change due to a relatively strong genetic basis of antisocial behavior (Niv et al., 2013), low genetic…”
- Authors
- Tremblay, R. E.
- Affiliations
- University College Dublin (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Tremblay, Richard E.
- ORCID
- Tremblay, Richard E.
- Venue
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2010-03-11
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 341-367
- ISSN
- 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7610
- OpenAlex
- W2122405077
- Cited by
- 462
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 44 · 2016: 30 · 2015: 45 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 33
- FWCI
- 33.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- aggression, oppositional defiant disorder, rule violations, developmental trajectories, social learning theory, epigenetics, perinatal interventions, prevention, early childhood, parental support
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Anger, Child, Developmental Disabilities, Female, Humans, Male, Psychological Theory, Temperament, Intergenerational Relations, Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Epigenesis, Genetic
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