Research summary
Children whose parents engage in antisocial behaviour are more than twice as likely to develop disruptive or antisocial behaviours themselves. While many children don’t follow their parents’ paths, we know virtually nothing about what fosters their resilience.
Dr. Amélie Petitclerc, Canada Research Chair in the Prevention of Child Behavior Problems, aims to understand and prevent the intergenerational transmission of antisocial behaviours. She and her research team are running longitudinal studies to identify resilience mechanisms. They will then examine which programs and public policies help reduce the chances of passing down these behaviours. Petitclerc and her team will build on this knowledge to develop and test preventive interventions that are tailored to these families.