Bowlby’s ideas about the importance of attachment were inspired partly by his observations of early disruptions in mother-child relationships in a sample of young delinquents (Bowlby, 1944). In more recent years, several studies have indeed shown that attachment insecurity and insensitive and unresponsive parenting in early childhood are related to externalising problems (such as aggressive, antisocial behaviour) in children and adolescents.

In addition, coercion theory focuses on social learning processes, such as reinforcement of child negative behaviour, as antecedents of child externalizing problems. Both theories have inspired a considerable amount of research regarding the role of parent-child interaction patterns in the development of externalizing problems. However, no previous studies have attempted to include the main elements of both theoretical frameworks.

Several studies within our research programme address this issue in order to provide a more comprehensive investigation of the role of early parenting as risk factor for the development of externalising problems. In these studies, special attention is paid to children’s differential susceptibility to these inadequate parenting practices in early childhood, preventive intervention, and immigrant families.