War, trauma and children's development: Observations from a modern evolutionary perspective
Abstract
Lethal intergroup conflict has been part of the human experience ever since our species emerged on the African savannah. Modern evolutionary thinking suggests that children's development could have evolved a variety of responses to it, some of which are highlighted upon considering, from the field of behavioural ecology, life-history theory and, derived from it, Belsky, Steinberg and Draper's (1991) evolutionary theory of socialization. This speculative essay examines the implications of such thinking, specifically with regard to insecure attachment, anxiety, depression, aggression, pubertal and sexual development, as well as mating and parenting. Considered, too, are issues of intergenerational transmission and variation in developmental reactivity to exposure to deadly political violence of the ethnic-cleansing variety in childhood.
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If adversity levels exceed children's regulatory capacity, they may develop depressive reaction patterns.
“If adversity levels exceed their regulatory capacity, they may develop depressive reaction patterns”
From Childhood adversities and adolescent depression: A matter of both risk and resilience (2014) · cites this paper as Belsky, 2008
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Extreme weather-driven disasters and children's health
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- Authors
- Belsky, J.
- Affiliations
- Birkbeck, University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Belsky, Jay
- ORCID
- Belsky, Jay
- Venue
- International Journal of Behavioral Development
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2008-07
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 260-271
- ISSN
- 0165-0254 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-0651
- OpenAlex
- W2083068354
- Cited by
- 81
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 5.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Behavioral Development (publishedVersion)
- BIROn (Birkbeck, University of London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- war, childhood trauma, child development, evolutionary psychology, intergroup conflict, insecure attachment, anxiety, depression, aggression, pubertal development, sexual development, mating, parenting, intergenerational transmission, ethnic cleansing, political violence, life history theory, behavioral ecology
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