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Development of Antisocial Behavior During Childhood

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Handbook of Life-Course Criminology

Abstract

This chapter describes recent research results on the development of different forms of antisocial behavior from infancy to adolescence. Prior to these studies two theoretical models had strongly influenced research on antisocial behavior: social learning and disease onset. According to these developmental perspectives, children learn antisocial behaviors from their environment and onset is triggered by accumulated exposition to antisocial 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 antisocial behavior from early childhood onwards suggest an inversed developmental process. Antisocial behavior is universal during early childhood. With age, children learn socially acceptable behavior from interactions with their environment.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Richard E. Tremblay

  2. GRIP, University of Montreal, 3050 Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Canada, H3T 1J7

    Richard E. Tremblay

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  1. Richard E. Tremblay
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Correspondence to Richard E. Tremblay .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Criminology, University of Florida, Turlington Hall 3219, Gainsville, 32611-7330, Florida, USA

    Chris L. Gibson

  2. Dept. Sociology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    Marvin D. Krohn

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Tremblay, R.E. (2013). Development of Antisocial Behavior During Childhood. In: Gibson, C., Krohn, M. (eds) Handbook of Life-Course Criminology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5113-6_1

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