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To understand how adults come to exhibit violent behaviours, researchers have begun looking at the prenatal and early childhood years. Factors that may influence aggressive tendencies include genetic dispositions, prenatal exposure to drugs, alcohol or tobacco, poor maternal nutrition, minor physical anomalies, birth complications, parents’ history of problem behavior, family dynamics, parenting practices, difficult temperament, peer influences and school experiences. These factors may "stack up" over time, putting children on a negative trajectory, and suggest the need for intervention in the early years. However, some factors, like obstetrical complications, appear to increase the risk of later aggression problems only if other stressors (teenage mother, low socioeconomic status, poor parenting) are present. Nor are all risk factors equal in their impact. For example, findings for fetal alcohol exposure are far more extensive to date than those for maternal nutrition.
The available data suggest that physical aggression in the preschool years peaks between the ages of two and three and then decreases steadily. However, a small group of children (5-10%) will continue to show high levels of aggression throughout childhood and adolescence. Aggression is often the primary characteristic of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. When these problems emerge in early childhood, they are likely to continue and be predictive of poor outcomes, such as delinquency, substance use and adult mental disorder. Unfortunately, identifying atypical aggression in preschoolers remains problematic as researchers fear pathologizing normal, age-appropriate behaviors. This fear of using developmentally inappropriate labels or concepts underlines the need for consistent definitions of atypical aggression both for scientific and policy reasons. To achieve comparability across scientific studies, clear definitions are needed. As well, children manifesting aggression problems need appropriate services, so identifying them early is crucial.
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