Abstract
While ineffective discipline can be attributed to authoritarian and permissive parenting styles, little research has examined the role of gender in the association between parenting style and early childhood behavioral problems. Thus, this study aimed to clarify the effects of authoritarian and permissive parenting on children’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors during the preschool-to-elementary-school transition according to gender in Japan. A sample of 1668 Japanese children (853 boys and 815 girls) were followed longitudinally over one-year intervals, and assessed based on parenting styles (the Parenting Scale), children’s behavioral problems (the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and family characteristics. Multivariate analyses revealed that, when analyzed by gender, authoritarian discipline influenced externalizing problems in boys (β = 0.048, p = 0.047) and girls (β = 0.067, p = 0.023), while permissive discipline influenced externalizing problems in boys only (β = 0.049, p = 0.038). The results document the relationship between family processes and the development of disruptive behavior disorders in children. Support for parents employing such child-rearing styles in early childhood may be effective in reducing school maladjustment.
Highlights
IntroductionBehavioral problems including externalizing problems (e.g., hyperactivity, rule-breaking behaviors, and aggression) and internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, withdrawal, and depression) are among the most common mental health issues in early childhood [1,2,3]
Behavioral problems including externalizing problems and internalizing problems are among the most common mental health issues in early childhood [1,2,3]
Based on an analysis of gender, authoritarian discipline was found to be related to externalizing problems in both boys and girls, whereas permissive discipline was related to externalizing problems only in boys
Summary
Behavioral problems including externalizing problems (e.g., hyperactivity, rule-breaking behaviors, and aggression) and internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, withdrawal, and depression) are among the most common mental health issues in early childhood [1,2,3]. Behavioral problems in early childhood are a significant predictor of negative mental health outcomes in later life [4,5,6]. They are highly predictive of a range of difficulties during childhood, such as conduct disorder, poor scholastic achievement, and peer rejection [7,8,9], as well as negative outcomes in adolescence and adulthood, such as mental health problems, poor employment prospects, and antisocial behavior [10,11,12]. To prevent the development of behavioral problems, it is necessary to understand the early childhood development of these problems as well as their etiology and developmental course
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