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Intergenerational transmission of child problem behaviors: a longitudinal, population-based study
Inge van Meurs1, Joni Reef, Frank C Verhulst
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical CenterYSophia Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 3060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|December 10, 2008
Summary
Childhood problem behaviors, like internalizing and externalizing issues, are often transmitted across generations. Parental behavior as children predicts similar problems in their own children, highlighting intergenerational continuity.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Genetics
- Family Studies
Background:
- Understanding intergenerational transmission of childhood problem behaviors is crucial from a developmental perspective.
- Previous research suggests a link between parental and child psychopathology, but comprehensive longitudinal data across diverse problem behaviors is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the extent of intergenerational transmission for a broad range of childhood problem behaviors.
- To examine sex differences in the continuity of these behaviors across generations.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal community study comparing parent and offspring Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores.
- Sample included 271 children (ages 4-16 in 1983) and their 424 offspring (ages 6-18 in 2007).
- Multilevel modeling used to analyze intergenerational associations.
Main Results:
- Parental childhood internalizing, externalizing, and total problem scores significantly predicted similar problems in their children.
- Intergenerational continuity was observed for most forms of childhood problem behaviors.
- Sex differences emerged for delinquent behavior, with stronger continuity from mothers to children and from sons to daughters.
Conclusions:
- Childhood problem behaviors demonstrate significant continuity across generations.
- Findings present challenges for developing interventions to prevent the transmission of behavioral problems.
- Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying this transmission and to design effective prevention strategies.
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