To the point ... Abuse or neglect

Violence is rarely out of the news at the moment, so it's useful to look at it from a developmental perspective. The infants at greatest risk of later conduct problems are those with 'disorganised attachment', which is associated with neglect or abuse in the family. Such children have been frightened by what should have been their source of security. The paradox of that scrambles the mind.

Longitudinal studies following disorganised infants suggest they are at high risk of later psychopathology such as dissociative identity disorder, borderline personality disorder and interpersonal violence.

Conditions associated with early abuse and neglect include panic attacks, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder and attachment difficulties. Abused and neglected children are at least 25 per cent more likely to experience problems such as delinquency, teen pregnancy, drug use and mental health problems. The likelihood of adult criminal behaviour increases by 28 per cent and violent crime by 30 per cent. A study of homicidal children found that 96 per cent came from chaotic family backgrounds, 90 per cent had been abused by a family member as a small child, and all had a history of serious school problems.