Intergenerational transmission of child problem behaviors: a longitudinal, population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
From a developmental perspective, it is important to know to what extent childhood problem behaviors are transmitted across generations. In a longitudinal community study, we compared child behavior of parents with the behavior of their offspring. Intergenerational transmission was investigated for a broad range of problem behaviors, including internalizing problems and externalizing behavior. Sex differences were investigated as well.


METHODS
We compared Child Behavior Checklist scores of 4- to 16-year-old children (N = 271) from a community sample assessed in 1983 with Child Behavior Checklist scores of their 6- to 18-year-old offspring (N = 424) who were assessed in 2007. Multilevel modeling was used to test intergenerational associations.


RESULTS
Most forms of problem behavior in children were predicted by the behavior of their parents as children. Parents' Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problem scores in childhood all predicted similar problems in their children. Sex differences were found for Delinquent Behavior: continuity was stronger in mothers than it was in fathers, and it was also stronger in sons than in daughters.


CONCLUSIONS
The finding that child behavior continues across generations poses challenges in finding ways to prevent problems from being transmitted across generations.
van Meurs
Inge
I
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical CenterYSophia Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 3060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Reef
Joni
J
Verhulst
Frank C
FC
van der Ende
Jan
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010332:Paternal Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors