Individuals as active co-creators of their environments

Here we outline three important issues that warrant further consideration and investigation in the context of prevention and intervention of inequalities.4 1 We want to acknowledge support from UK Research and Innovation (MR/W002485/1 to EV), Medical Research Council (MR/V033905/1 to EV and EMcC) and Economic and Social Research Council (539220 to EMcC and EV). [...] Dynamic developmental effects A number of recent genetically informative longitudinal studies have demonstrated that in addition to those genetic and environmental factors that contribute to initial risk of maladaptive outcomes, there are novel genetic and environmental influences that come ‘online’ at later time points and affect the developmental course of the child’s phenotype. [...] A second set of genetic factors influencing the child’s developmental course may relate more specifically to traits and capacities that mature in childhood and adolescence, and which can affect the expression of behaviour over time. [...] Helping parents, caregivers and teachers reframe a child’s behaviour, in the context of a profile of dispositional strengths and weaknesses that the child presents with, could change how the adults around them experience and respond to a child’s behaviour. [...] Acknowledging dispositional differences, and the challenges and opportunities they present, is a key to refining preventative and targeted interventions to be more tailored to specific needs of children and families, which in turn will serve to reduce inequalities.