Developmental origins of chronic physical aggression: An international perspective on using singletons, twins and epigenetics
| Author | Richard E. Tremblay |
| DOI | 10.1177/1477370815600617 |
| Published date | 01 September 2015 |
| Date | 01 September 2015 |
| Subject Matter | Special issue articles |
European Journal of Criminology
2015, Vol. 12(5) 551 –561
© The Author(s) 2015
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DOI: 10.1177/1477370815600617
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Developmental origins of
chronic physical aggression:
An international perspective
on using singletons, twins and
epigenetics
Richard E. Tremblay
University College Dublin, Ireland; University of Montreal, Canada
Abstract
This article takes an international and historical perspective to discuss the present state of
knowledge on the developmental origins of physical aggression and its implications for the
prevention of chronic physical aggression. An increasing number of longitudinal studies of
singleton and twins initiated at birth or during the first few years of life are showing that physical
aggressions are more frequent in early childhood than at any other time during the life-span.
Because chronic physical aggression generally starts in early childhood, preventive interventions
during this period are much more likely to be effective and substantially decrease the costs of
criminal behavior during adolescence and early adulthood. Unfortunately, most criminological
studies on physical aggression development and prevention target the adolescent and adulthood
periods and do not take into account gene–environment contributions. Early childhood studies
are needed to identify early bio-psycho-social mechanisms that put individuals on a chronic
trajectory of physical aggression from early childhood to adulthood. These studies can also help
identify the preventive interventions that are most effective in preventing a life-course of crime
and misery. Developmental criminology needs to take a bio-psycho-social intergenerational
and life-span perspective as well as focus more systematically on females as the key target for
intergenerational prevention of chronic physical aggression.
Keywords
Adolescents, adults, bio-psycho-social mechanisms, children, crime, criminals, delinquents,
development, early childhood, environment, epigenetics, genetics, life-span, physical aggression,
prevention, trajectories
Corresponding author:
Richard E. Tremblay, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, Woodview House,
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychology, University
of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
Email: richard.tremblay@ucd.ie
600617EUC0010.1177/1477370815600617European Journal of CriminologyTremblay
research-article2015
Special issue article
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