title: Relationships between parental negativity and childhood antisocial behavior over time: a bidirectional effects model in a longitudinal genetically informative design.
abstract: This study examined the direction and etiology underlying the relationships between parental negativity and early childhood antisocial behavior using a bidirectional effects model in a longitudinal genetically informative design. We analyzed parent reports of parental negativity and early childhood antisocial behavior in 6,230 pairs of twins at 4 and 7 years of age. Results from a cross-lagged twin model contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional processes involved in parental negativity and childhood antisocial behavior. Specifically, the findings of this study suggest that the association between parenting and child antisocial behavior is best explained by both parent-driven and child-driven effects. We found support for the notion that parent's negative feelings towards their children environmentally mediate the risk for child antisocial behavior. We also found evidence of genetically mediated child effects; in which genetically influenced antisocial behavior evoke parental negativity towards the child.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, P.O. Box 281, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden. Henrik.Larsson@ki.se
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Essi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viding
authors.forename: Fruhling V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Rijsdijk
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Plomin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009341:Negativism; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012931:Social Environment