Targeting youth violence: Modifiable environmental factors and gene-environment interactions in Chinese left-behind children
AI Summary
Left-behind children exhibited significantly higher aggression scores than non-left-behind peers.
Aggression linked to parental attachment, classroom environment, and media violence; paternal factors particularly influential for left-behind children.
Low-activity MAOA genotype amplifies sensitivity to adverse and supportive environments, supporting school, family and community interventions.
Public Health. 2026 May 22;257:106335. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2026.106335. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Youth aggressive behavior is a major public health concern, with Chinese left-behind children (LBC) particularly vulnerable due to prolonged parental separation. The underlying mechanisms and contextual factors driving aggression in LBC remain unclear.
STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 2999 students (664 LBC, 2355 non-left-behind children, NLBC) from 6 schools in a city in Northeast China. Aggression, parent-child attachment, classroom environment, and media violence exposure were assessed using validated scales. Buccal samples from 648 participants were collected for genotyping. Multiple regression and two-way ANOVA were performed to examine direct effects and gene-environment interactions on aggression.
RESULTS: Aggression scores were significantly higher in LBC than in NLBC (t = 4.924, p < 0.001). For LBC, aggression was negatively associated with paternal trust (β = -0.157) and classroom order (β = -0.153), while positively associated with paternal alienation (β = 0.117), classroom competition (β = 0.167), and media violence exposure (β = 0.155). For NLBC, aggression was negatively linked to maternal trust (β = -0.098), classroom order (β = -0.100) and peer relationships (β = -0.117), whereas positively linked to maternal alienation (β = 0.130), competition (β = 0.166), and media violence (β = 0.134). The low-activity MAOA (MAOA-L) genotype moderated these associations, heightening sensitivity to both adverse and supportive environments.
CONCLUSIONS: Aggression in LBC is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. These findings highlight the importance of school-based interventions, structured classroom management and targeted psychosocial support, as well as family and community engagement, to mitigate aggression and inform public health strategies for vulnerable youth populations.
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