ABSTRACT
A whole body of research has linked aspects of the environment inhabited by the child – such as the quality of parenting and marital conflict – to the development of antisocial behaviour. Several studies suggest that the quality of early parental care – such as unresponsiveness and rejection – plays a significant role in the development of early-onset antisocial behaviour (Campbell, Shaw and Gilliom, 2000; Shaw et al., 2003). Parental responsiveness, sensitivity to social cues and emotional availability are all associated with positive outcomes in young children, such as behavioural regulation and social competence (Martin, 1981; Bost et al., 1998; Wakschlag and Hans, 1999). A lack of parental responsiveness during infancy, however, has been associated with negative outcomes, such as antisocial behaviour later in childhood (Shaw, Keenan and Vondra, 1994a; Shaw et al., 1998b; Wakschlag and Hans, 1999). Parental rejection, the combination of harsh and controlling parenting practices coupled with unacceptance of the child, also has been linked with the development of later antisocial behaviour (Dishion, 1990; Dodge, Pettit and Bates, 1994; Campbell et al., 1996; Younge, Oetting and Deffenbacher, 1996).
