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Between The Wars/Topham Picturepoint/Press Association Images
The Daily PollPoll: Nature or nurture - which has a bigger effect on a child's development?
Experts have claimed this week that violence is a “preventable disease” as children who receive love and fair discipline do not become violent adults. Do you agree or do you think heredity, or nature, has a bigger impact on how a child turns out?
THE NATURE VERSUS NURTURE argument has been debated at length and, this week, new research has claimed that the root causes of violence and anti-social behaviour are developed in the first three years of life.
A seminal study, conducted in New Zealand, showed that nurses could predict the criminal tendencies of children 18 years in advance – just by watching them play as infants.
Clinical Criminologist George Hosking, an international expert on the prevention of violent crime, says a cycle of abuse can be perpetuated through generations. He also believes it can be successfully broken with early intervention methods.
This argument seems to present the case that people’s environment – and not their heredity – has a bigger effect on a person’s development. It also reasons that a changing environment can alter one’s behaviour and disrupt a cycle of violence.
So, today, we ask what do you think? Which has a bigger effect on how a child turns out – nature or nurture?
Poll Results:
Mostly nurture (1852)
Mostly nature (408)
I don't know (232)
have your say