IntroductionThere are many ways to explain how a child is the way they are and why they act the way they do. One explanation lies in intergenerational transmission. Intergenerational transmission is a process that leads to the perseverance of one's culture, can be selective and is a bidirectional process (from parent to child or from child to parent) (Scabini & Marta, 2006; Schonpflug, 2001). There are many different characteristics and/or temperaments that can be passed down intergenerationally, such as values, parenting behaviors, gender and much more. Another trait that can be passed down from one generation to the next, from parent to child, is externalizing problem behaviors. Externalizing problem behavior “refers to a group of behavior problems that manifest in children's outward behavior and reflect the child's negative action on the external environment” (Liu, 2004, p. 94). This literature review will examine the intergenerational transmission of externalizing problem behaviors. The extensive research on the intergenerational transmission of externalized problem behaviors, which will be discussed, will take place between two and three generations. The externalizing problem behaviors that will be examined are antisocial behavior, conduct, and aggression, and each of these will be defined using Merriam-Webster.com.Literature ReviewOverviewParenting and Family. Several factors must be considered when discussing the intergenerational transmission of externalizing problem behaviors. Considering that the family plays a major role in the socialization of children, the first factor to examine is the role that parents and family play in intergenerational transmission (Kalmuss, 1984). The...... middle of article ......urnal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32(2), 174-185. doi: 10.1177/0022022101032002005Silberg, JL, Maes, H. and Eaves, LJ (2012). Disentangling the effect of genes and environment in the transmission of parental antisocial behavior to children's behavioral problems, depression and hyperactivity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53(6), 668-677. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02494.xSmith, CA and Farrington, DP (2004). Continuities of antisocial behavior and parenting across three generations. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(2), 230-247. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00216.xThornberry, TP, Freeman-Gallant, A., Lizotte, AJ, Krohn, MD, & Smith, CA (2003). Lives linked: The intergenerational transmission of antisocial behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31(2), 171-184. do I: 0091-0627/03/0400-0171/0