The purpose of this research is to identify, early in development, characteristics of children and parents that predict later problem aggression. In a longitudinal study, aggression observed in two-year-old children of well and depressed mothers was examined in relation to problem behaviors at ages five and six. Early maladaptive forms of aggression (out-of-control, dysregulated aggression) strongly predicted externalizing problems reported by mothers of five-year-olds, as well as child-reported problems in a psychiatric interview at age six. Problems were more frequent in children of depressed, than well, mothers and stability over time was evident mainly for the depressed sample. Observed child-rearing practices of mothers of toddlers during their interactions with playmates also predicted later child outcomes. When depressed mothers used child-rearing approaches that involved anticipating the child's point of view, while structuring and regulating the play environment, their children were significantly less likely to show disturbances later in development. Characteristics of early parent-child interaction thus influence whether children's very early difficulties in impulse control and emotion regulation will culminate in later behavior problems, particularly for children from high-risk environments. These issues are examined further in a longitudinal study of 4-year-olds with externalizing behavior problems, to explore characteristics of child temperament, parent functioning and parent-child interaction that may predict maintenance vs. amelioration of problem behaviors over time.
