Research Network CYAD – Child and Youth Antisocial Development

The involvement of children and adolescents in violent and criminal activities constitutes a serious societal problem in Sweden and has increased in recent years. The number of individuals under 15 years of age suspected of committing criminal offences has tripled since 2019. Between 2019 and 2025, the number of detained adolescents aged 15-17 also increased steeply, nearly quadrupling from 150 individuals in 2019 to 558 in 2025. In 2025, approximately 1,700 minors (aged 0-17 years) were involved in criminal groups.

To address this the Child and Youth Antisocial Development (CYAD) network was established at Karolinska Institutet as a platform for research and knowledge dissemination. CYAD is grounded in a biopsychosocial model of antisocial development, emphasizing the interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors, while maintaining a focus on the individual.

Research conducted by members of the CYAD network includes:

• Studies of conduct disorder and antisocial development in different populations, and biopsychosocial risk factors.
• Evaluations of CBT-based treatment programs in institutional care targeting substance use problems and involvement in criminal groups.
• Interventions for school-aged children exhibiting aggressive and externalizing behavior.
• Development and evaluation of an interactive educational platform for school staff focused on norm-breaking behavior.
• Studies of biological correlates of psychopathic traits and empathy deficits.

Aim 

• Promote collaboration between universities, public authorities, and practice-based stakeholders
• Disseminate knowledge through courses and seminars targeted at practitioners and the general public
• Develop and evaluate interventions that prevent antisocial behavior—from children at risk to youth already involved in criminality
• Improve the precision of assessments for children and adolescents with antisocial behavior
• Advance the research field through innovative ideas, high-quality research, and national and international collaborations

Upcoming Events

• Webinar on youths’ experiences of imprisonment
• Webinar on the role of girls in criminal groups
• Higher education course on children and adolescents with severe norm-breaking behavior, starting in September 2026
• Biannual reference group meeting, autumn 2026
• Meeting with public authorities and other stakeholders on antisocial development among children and adolescent and appropriate interventions, spring 2027
• Scientific meeting on secure care for children and adolescents with antisocial development, planned in 2027

CYAD Steering Committee

The steering committee includes researchers from the Centre for Psychiatric Research at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet.

• Marianne Kristiansson, Professor Emerita, KI CNS
• Katarina Howner, Associate Professor, Research Group Leader, KI CNS / Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine
• Camilla Jalling, Researcher, KI CNS / Swedish National Board of Institutional Care
• Maria Helander, Researcher, KI CNS
• Karolina Sörman, Researcher, Organizational Development Specialist, KI CNS
• Ida Mälarstig, Postdoctoral researcher, KI CNS