Scientists studying the degree to which brain function, parental involvement and environment determine antisocial outbursts in children have found that social support and intervention can successfully moderate misbehaviour.
Researchers at the University of Michigan studied the amygdala — the part of the brain that processes fear and impulsive reactions — for clues about extreme behaviour in children. The amygdala is associated with aggressive behaviour, anxiety disorders and depression. Once that region of the brain is stimulated, they found, some people become anxious and overreact to perceived threats.
According to the study, if the child is not getting help from others then the link between the amygdala and anxious behaviour is stronger. The tendency to overreact can be altered by a child’s environment, and the same researchers found in another study that impulsive kids are at higher risk of engaging in antisocial behaviour if they live in dangerous neighbourhoods.
Scientists at Michigan’s Institute for Social Research used neurogenetics, which combines genetics, neuroscience and psychology, to understand the propensity to extreme behaviour. They also drew a distinction between normal childhood misbehaviour and serious behavioural issues that will persist into adolescence.
Throwing a tantrum is common, the study found, but a number of other behaviours might indicate other issues such as cruelty to animals, lack of guilt, lying, deceptive behaviour and an inability to change behaviour after punishment.
The results of the test aren’t meaningful until after age three, said researcher Luke Hyde.
“Before that, many of these behaviours are fairly common and don’t predict anything. But after age three, if children are still behaving in these ways, their behaviour is more likely to escalate in the following years rather than improve.”
