According to this article, aggressive behavior in children (defined as "arguing, cruelty to others, destruction of property, disobedience, threatening people and fighting or physically attacking others") is related to neglect of that child before their second birthday. The author's discuss how the focus of research has been primarily on outright abuse, while the impact of neglect has received far less attention. From the article:
"A child was considered neglected if his parents or caregivers did not provide adequate supervision or failed to meet the child's minimum physical needs for food, clothing and shelter. Abuse was defined as either sexual or physical."
And:
"This isn't the first time we've seen evidence suggesting that in some circumstances, neglect can be as harmful to children as abuse," said Hussey, who published a study in Pediatrics in 2006, linking neglect to teenage violence, depression and drug use. "Understanding the consequences of early childhood neglect will help us plan programs and other interventions to benefit these children throughout their lives."
Nothing to add here, I think the doc said it all...
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