From Disruption to Development: A Biopsychosocial Framework for Early Externalizing Behavior in Childhood Contexts

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Abstract

This study develops a biopsychosocial framework for understanding early externalizing behaviors in childhood settings, with particular attention to the interaction between language development and emotional regulation. Rather than treating early aggression as isolated behavioral misconduct, the project examines how interpretive language (e.g., processing social cues), expressive language (e.g., communicating needs), and regulatory capacities operate together within social environments to shape behavioral responses. Drawing on observational fieldwork and caregiver-reported insights from a structured childcare context, the analysis focuses on how communication constraints and emotional dysregulation intersect with peer interaction and caregiver responses. The findings suggest that early behavioral expressions are not solely individual traits but emerge through ongoing interaction between developmental capacities and environmental feedback. By shifting attention from behavior alone to underlying mechanisms, this study advances a more integrated understanding of early behavioral risk. The framework contributes to life-course criminology by identifying pathways through which early developmental processes may influence longer-term behavioral trajectories and points of intervention.

Author

• Haneen J. Alani, University of New Haven