Behavior Problem Scale Research Articles

Are Proactive and Reactive Aggression Meaningful Distinctions in Adolescents? A Variable- and Person-Based Approach

This study was designed to examine whether proactive and reactive aggression are meaningful distinctions at the variable- and person-based level, and to determine their associated behavioral profiles. Data from 587 adolescents (mean age 15.6; 71.6 % male) from clinical samples of four different sites with differing levels of aggression problems were analyzed. A multi-level Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify classes of individuals (person-based) with similar aggression profiles based on factor scores (variable-based) of the Reactive Proactive Questionnaire (RPQ) scored by self-report. Associations were examined between aggression factors and classes, and externalizing and internalizing problem behavior scales by parent report (CBCL) and self-report (YSR). Factor-analyses yielded a three factor solution: 1) proactive aggression, 2) reactive aggression due to internal frustration, and 3) reactive aggression due to external provocation. All three factors showed moderate to high correlations. Four classes were detected that mainly differed quantitatively (no ‘proactive-only’ class present), yet also qualitatively when age was taken into account, with reactive aggression becoming more severe with age in the highest affected class yet diminishing with age in the other classes. Findings were robust across the four samples. Multiple regression analyses showed that ‘reactive aggression due to internal frustration’ was the strongest predictor of YSR and CBCL internalizing problems. However, results showed moderate to high overlap between all three factors. Aggressive behavior can be distinguished psychometrically into three factors in a clinical sample, with some differential associations. However, the clinical relevance of these findings is challenged by the person-based analysis showing proactive and reactive aggression are mainly driven by aggression severity.

Investigation of the Relationship between Spouse Support Levels Perceived by Fathers having a Child of Pre-school Period and Children's Behavior Problems

AbstractThis study is a descriptive research involving the use of scanning model. The sampling of the study is composed of 533 children. In the study, “General Information Form” was used to determine the demographic characteristics of fathers and children, “Spouse Support Scale” was used to measure the spouse support levels of fathers, and “Problem Behavior Scale” was used to measure the children’s problem behaviors. While ages and family types of fathers did not create a significant difference in spousal support levels, a significant difference was seen between the education level of the father and emotional support, financial assistance, information support, social interest and the total sizes of spousal support; a significant difference was seen between mother’s working status and financial assistance, information support and support social interest dimension; and a significant difference was seen between the fathers’ statuses of participation to family activities and appreciation, social interest support.

Is Physical Abuse, Neglect, or a Combination of Both More Predictive of Delinquent Behavior in a High-Risk Population?

ABSTRACTThis study explored early abuse type and severity in relation to delinquency utilizing an archival longitudinal data set. These data were collected every 2 years, starting at age 4, from the individuals, caregivers, and teachers. Mean differences tests were conducted to determine how delinquency scores varied by abuse type and severity. These analyses used Child Protective Services reports of the type and severity of abuse as independent measures and the behavior problem scale from the Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self Report, and Teacher Report Form as independent measures. Follow-up analyses of variance and post-hoc tests were conducted as necessary to clarify the relationship between abuse and delinquency. Although results did not reach significance, a relatively small mean difference was discovered between severity types (more severe maltreatment history demonstrating higher levels of delinquency) for teacher ratings of delinquency.

Self reported behavioral and emotional difficulties in relation to dentition status among school going children of Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, India.

Oral health has strong biological, psychological, and social projections, which influence the quality of life. Thus, developing a common vision and a comprehensive approach to address children's social, emotional, and behavioral health needs is an integral part of the child and adolescent's overall health. To assess and compare the behavior and emotional difficulties among 15-year-olds and to correlate it with their dentition status based on gender. Study Settings and Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire study among 15-year-old schoolgoing children in six private schools in Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, India. The behavior and emotional difficulties were assessed using self-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The dentition status was recorded by the criteria given by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Basic Oral Health Survey Assessment Form (1997). Independent Student's t-test was used for comparison among the variables. Correlation between scales of SDQ and dentition status was done using Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient method. Girls reported more emotional problems and good prosocial behavior and males had more conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and total difficulty problems. Total decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) and decayed component were significantly and positively correlated with total difficulty, emotional symptom, and conduct problems scale while missing component was correlated with the hyperactivity scale and filled component with prosocial behavior. DMFT and its components showed an association with all scales of SDQ except for peer problem scale. Thus, the oral health of children was significantly influenced by behavioral and emotional difficulties; so, changes in the mental health status will affect the oral health of children.

A family-oriented treatment program for youths with ketamine abuse and their caregivers: a pilot study in Taiwan.

ObjectiveThe abuse of ketamine by youths has grown into a serious public health issue. However, a reliable and efficient treatment has still not been found for youths who abuse ketamine. This pilot study investigated the effects of a family-oriented treatment program for ketamine-using youths and their caregivers.MethodsTo carry out this study, 42 youths with ketamine use (mean age 16.6±1.1 years) who were referred to take part in a 10-week treatment program based on motivational enhancement principles were selected, as were their principal caregivers (mean age 46.4±7.1 years), who were similarly referred to take part in a 10-week training program for parenting skills. The study had the youths complete the Chinese Craving Beliefs Questionnaire, the Adolescents’ Behavior problem Scale, and the Family APGAR both immediately before and after the program. Likewise, the youths’ caregivers completed the Family APGAR, the 12-item version of the Chinese Health Questionnaire, and the Parenting Stress Index.ResultsOf the 42 youth–caregiver pairs that took part in this study, 37 (88%) completed the 10-week program and both sets of assessments. After the treatment, the participating youths’ substance cravings declined (t=3.88, P<0.001), while family function, as perceived by the participating caregivers, significantly increased (t=2.22, P=0.033). The improvement in caregivers’ perceptions of family function were positively related to the improvement of the caregivers’ health status (r=−0.36, P=0.022).ConclusionAccording to its results, this pilot study submits that family-oriented treatment programs may be considered a potentially effective treatment option for youths who abuse ketamine. Additional studies with larger sample sizes, as well as longer follow-up periods, are necessary to verify whether this type of treatment also prevents youths using ketamine from relapsing.

Physical Activity, Social Skills, And Problem Behaviors In Children With Behavioral Disorders

PURPOSE:Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD) are associated with impaired social functioning. Evidence suggests that physical activity may improve mental health in typically developing children. METHODS:Children with ADHD and DBD, 6-12 years-old, living in an urban poor community were randomized to a 10-week physical activity after-school program (n=19) or a comparable but sedentary attention control program (n=16). The Social Skills Improvement System (SSiS), collected at baseline and posttest, includes a social skills scale and problem behaviors scale, with eleven subscales. Intent-to-treat mixed models tested group x time and group x time x attendance interactions, correlations were run between attendance and change scores, and Cohen’s d was calculated within and between groups. RESULTS: A group x time interaction favored treatment on the internalizing subscale of the SSiS (F[1,25]=6.25, p<.05; d=1.27). A group x time x attendance interaction trended in favor of controls on the social skills scale (F[1,22]=3.30, p<.10), such that attendance to the control program was related to greater improvement in social skills over the course of the program (r=.54, p<.10) while attendance to treatment was not (r=.14, p=.66). Participants in both groups demonstrated beneficial moderate within-group effect sizes on social skills (control d=0.59, treatment d=0.43) and large within-group effects on problem behaviors (control d=1.25, treatment d=0.85). CONCLUSIONS: Findings reinforce the most widely reported mental health benefit of physical activity, namely antidepressive and anxiolytic effects; and suggest that a quality sedentary program may be more effective than a physical activity program at improving social skills, perhaps by providing greater opportunities for dialogue between children and adults. Children in both groups improved their social functioning, interrupting an expected trajectory of escalating problem severity. Findings support physical activity as a promising space for simultaneous physical and mental health promotion among children with behavioral disorders, especially in urban poor communities where obesity and ADHD/DBD are prevalent and limited resources are available to meet needs. Funded by NIH Research Grant R36 MH093152.

Psychometric Properties of Turkish Version of the Behavior Problems Scale for High School Students

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Behavior Problem Scale (BPS) in a sample of Turkish high school students. Methods: This is a descriptive study and confirmatory factor analysis was used. The scale was administered to 542 Anatolian high school students from 9th, 10th and 11th grades in Ankara. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for both single and two-factor models of the BPS and the following indices were obtained: (χ2(35)=166.09, p=0.01; χ2/df-ratio=4.74; GFI=0.939, CFI=0.893, RMSEA=0.083, and SRMR=0.049) for two-factor model. The internal consistency of the BPS was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha, which was 0.80 for the total; 0.71 for rudeness; and 0.70 for disobedience. For criterion validity, Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) was used. Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant negative correlation between BPS scores and MSLSS, suggesting that participants with a high BPS scores were more likely to score lower on the MSLSS. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the Turkish version of the BPS provides a reliable and valid measure for Turkish high school students.

Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales - Second Edition (PKBS-2): adaptação e estudos psicométricos da versão portuguesa

Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar o processo de tradução, adaptação e alguns estudos psicométricos da versão portuguesa das Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales - Second Edition (PKBS-2; Merrell, 2002), uma escala de avaliação com 76 itens na sua versão original, especificamente desenvolvida para avaliar aptidões sociais e problemas de comportamento em crianças pré-escolares. A amostra normativa é composta por 1000 crianças pré-escolares avaliadas por pais e educadores/professores. Foram efetuados estudos de tradução/adaptação e inclusão de outros itens relevantes que, após análises de itens, análise fatorial exploratória e de consistência interna, resultaram numa versão portuguesa com 80 itens. Os resultados da análise fatorial exploratória permitiram identificar três subescalas para a escala de Aptidões Sociais e duas subescalas para a de Problemas de Comportamento. As escalas apresentaram uma boa consistência interna e foram observadas intercorrelações moderadas a elevadas entre as subescalas e o resultado total. Para a estabilidade temporal, os resultados são congruentes com os da versão original, com valores moderados a elevados (r = 0,65 a 0,90). Apesar de algumas limitações apresentadas, fica disponível uma ferramenta útil e válida na avaliação de aptidões sociais e problemas de comportamento das crianças portuguesas pré-escolares.

A prospective study of heart rate and externalising behaviours in young children

Background: Low heart rate predicts externalising and delinquent behaviour in adults, adolescents and school-age children. In younger children the evidence is less clear. Moreover, the specificity of the relation between the autonomic nervous system and different forms of externalising behaviour is uncertain. We investigated the longitudinal relation between resting mean heart rate and different externalising behaviours. Methods: In 412 children of the Generation R Study, we measured resting mean heart rate at 14 months. At 3 years, child problem behaviour was assessed by the mother with the Child Behavior Checklist. In a gift delay task, we observed whether children were compliant and whether they lied about their noncompliance. The association of heart rate with behaviour was contrasted with the effect of harsh parenting. Results: In our main analysis, we examined the association between heart rate and reported and observed child behaviour. For comparison, the association of heart rate with behaviour was contrasted with the effect of harsh parenting. Mean heart rate was positively associated with Anxious/Depressed scale scores (b = .1, 95% CI = 0.01; 0.2, p = .04), but not with Aggressive Behaviour (b = .02; 95% CI = 0.1; 0.1, p = .8) nor Attention Problem scale scores (b = .08, 95% CI = 0.3; 0.5, p = .8). We could not demonstrate an association between mean heart rate and noncompliance during the gift delay task (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.9; 1.1, p = .2), but lower heart rate predicted higher odds of the child lying (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.3; 0.9, p = .03). In contrast, harsh parenting was associated with mother-reported Aggressive Behaviour (b = .7, 95% CI = 0.4; 0.9, p < .001) and Attention Problems (b = .2, 95% CI = 0.1; 0.3, p < .001), but not with observed lying (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.8; 1.4, p = .8). Conclusions: Lower resting mean heart rate at age 14 months predicts low anxiety symptoms and higher odds of lying at age 3 years. Low resting mean heart rate may be less an indicator of early childhood aggression than of fearless behaviour. Keywords: Child, heart rate, anxiety, externalising behaviour, parenting, compliance.

Variations in sleep characteristics and sleep-related impairment in at-risk college drinkers: a latent profile analysis.

Sleep disturbance and heavy drinking increase risk of negative consequences in college students. Limited research exists on how they act synergistically, and the overall nature of sleep and sleep-related impairment in college student drinkers is poorly understood. A latent profile analysis was conducted on the sleep characteristics and daytime sleep-related consequences of college student drinkers who were at-risk based on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption scores. Participants (N = 312, mean age = 18.90 (0.97) years) consumed a mean (SD) of 20.93 (13.04) drinks per week. Scores on the 10 items of the Sleep/Wake Behavior Problems Scale (SWPS) were the class indicators. Four classes best described the sleep and sleep-related consequences of at-risk college drinkers. Classes represented different gradients and types of sleep patterns and sleep-related impairment; nearly half the sample reported late bedtimes and daytime consequences of insufficient sleep. Subsequent validation analyses indicated that these classes were directly correspondent with severity of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related consequences illicit substance use, and perceived health. These findings indicate the presence of significant heterogeneity in college drinkers' sleep patterns and experiences of sleep-related impairment. Class differences significantly impact the level of alcohol and drug use and the consequences members experience. Greater alcohol use and sleep/wake problems are associated with increased risk for negative consequences for certain classes. These results suggest that college drinking interventions could benefit from the incorporation of sleep-related content and the value in adding brief alcohol assessments and interventions to other college health treatments.

A contrast of comorbid condition and adaptive function between children with Autism Spectrum Disorder from clinical and non-clinical populations

To investigate factors that might hamper early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the present study examined differences between comorbid conditions and adaptive functions measured by the BASC-2 PRS in an epidemiologically ascertained group of children with ASD (Clinical and Non-clinical ASD groups), those who were screened positive but confirmed not to have ASD (No-ASD), and a group of typical, community children (N=5222). Results indicate that the Clinical ASD group scored lower on the Externalizing Problems composite, Aggression, and Conduct Problems scales than did the No-ASD group whereas the Non-clinical ASD group did not differ from the other two groups except on the Conduct Problem scale. Further, the Clinical ASD group significantly scored lower than the other two groups the Adaptive Skills composite. The scores of the Clinical ASD group on the Social Skills and Leadership scales were lower than those in the No-ASD group, but not those in the Non-clinical ASD group. Results suggest that the frequent comorbid behavioral problems and higher adaptive skills of children in a non-clinical population, compared to a clinical population could mask their core ASD symptoms, resulting in a delay for caretakers to seek appropriate services for these children.

The Construct Validity of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for Aboriginal Children Living in Urban New South Wales, Australia

The current study explores the construct validity of the standard Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for Aboriginal children living in urban communities in New South Wales, Australia. Parent report SDQ data from the first 717 Aboriginal children aged 4–17 years who participated in the baseline survey of the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health were analysed. The overall construct validity of the SDQ in our sample was acceptable but not “good.” The internal consistency reliability was excellent overall and good for all subscales with the exception of peer problems, a concept that may have a different significance for urban Aboriginal parents. Removing the peer relationships subscale, however, did not improve the fit of the model. The convergent validity of the SDQ was good. The prosocial behaviours scale and both the peer and conduct problems scales were highly correlated suggesting Aboriginal parents conceptualise these differently and that prosocial behaviours may be considered a key indicator of well‐being for Aboriginal children. Overall, the SDQ is a promising tool for urban Aboriginal children in New South Wales. Those working with Aboriginal young people should focus on the SDQ total difficulties score and limit their reliance on the peer relationships subscale.

Factorial structure of the French version of the Nursing Home Behavior Problem Scale

Several measuring devices are available to assess specific behavioural problems of dementia patients residing in nursing homes but only a few have been translated and validated in French. This study's main objective was to determine the factorial structure of the French version of the Nursing Home Behavior Problem Scale (NHBPS) with people suffering from dementia. A secondary objective was to document the variables associated with the global score of the NHBPS and the underlying dimensions of the instrument. Participants (n = 155) were diagnosed with dementia and resided in three nursing homes and a hospital's long-term care unit. The presence of behavioural problems and other characteristics were assessed by two nurses. A factor analysis revealed five key dimensions in the francophone version of the questionnaire. Several variables were associated with the total score of the NHBPS and its five underlying dimensions. Although the factorial solution of the French version of the NHBPS is similar to the English versions, our results also show differences that may depend on methodological characteristics.

Mental Status and Related Factors in High School Adolescent Students

The purpose of this study was to determine in high school population adolescents’ mental status and related factors. A descriptive and cross-sectional survey conducted among 558 ninth-grade Turkish adolescents aged between 13 and 17. Sociademographic data form, Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was applied. The 25 self-report SDQ items are divided between 5 scales (hyperactivity scale, emotional symptoms scale, conduct problems scale, peer problems scale and prosocial scale) of 5 items each. In order to analyze the data; descriptive statistics, student's t test, One-way Anova tests were used. 15.1% of the students had 16-19 score (limit point), 9.1% had 20 and above score (abnormal) for SDQ and at risk. It was found that the SDQ scores are high in the students whom are older, in those who lives with relatives, in those who have divorced or separated family type, whose parents are irrevelant, whose family income is bad, in those whose relations are bad with the family or the people, in those who has problems in the continuation of human relations, in those who has a health problem, whose monthly income is not enough and in those who works somewhere else (p< 0.05). Mental problems are prevalent in high school students. The implementation of therapeutic, structured mental support program to adolescences with mental problems could be beneficial improving mental status of these individuals.

A General Population Twin Study of Conduct Problems and the Auditory P300 Waveform

Reduced amplitude of the P300 event-related potential has been consistently associated with a variety of externalising problems, including conduct disorder. The few available genetically-informative studies of these relationships, however, were conducted among adolescents/adults (i.e., at an age when conduct disorder has typically already become manifest). Among 200 general population twins with a mean age of 9years (range 6-14years), we studied the relationship between the P300 waveform elicited by an auditory oddball task and the DSM-oriented conduct problems scale of the Child Behavior Checklist 6-18. Conduct problems scores were negatively and significantly correlated (r = -0.19, p = 0.01) with P300 amplitude; correlations between P300 amplitude and the other DSM-oriented Child Behavior Checklist scales were non-significant, except for oppositional defiant problems (p = 0.01). We found moderate heritability estimates for both P300 amplitude (0.58, CI:0.37;0.73) and conduct problems (0.52, CI:0.25;0.70). Bivariate twin analyses indicated that the covariation between these two phenotypes can be explained by additive genetic factors only, with a genetic correlation of -0.33. An association between reduced P300 amplitude and conduct problems can be substantiated already in childhood, at an age that precedes the most typical onset of conduct disorder. This relationship appears to be genetic in nature. Reduced P300 amplitude can represent a valuable marker for conduct problems, and can contribute to the early identification of children at high-risk for conduct disorder.

A prospective study of heart rate and externalising behaviours in young children.

Low heart rate predicts externalising and delinquent behaviour in adults, adolescents and school-age children. In younger children the evidence is less clear. Moreover, the specificity of the relation between the autonomic nervous system and different forms of externalising behaviour is uncertain. We investigated the longitudinal relation between resting mean heart rate and different externalising behaviours. In 412 children of the Generation R Study, we measured resting mean heart rate at 14 months. At 3 years, child problem behaviour was assessed by the mother with the Child Behavior Checklist. In a gift delay task, we observed whether children were compliant and whether they lied about their noncompliance. The association of heart rate with behaviour was contrasted with the effect of harsh parenting. In our main analysis, we examined the association between heart rate and reported and observed child behaviour. For comparison, the association of heart rate with behaviour was contrasted with the effect of harsh parenting. Mean heart rate was positively associated with Anxious/Depressed scale scores (β = .1, 95% CI = 0.01; 0.2, p = .04), but not with Aggressive Behaviour (β = .02; 95% CI = −0.1; 0.1, p = .8) nor Attention Problem scale scores (β = .08, 95% CI = −0.3; 0.5, p = .8). We could not demonstrate an association between mean heart rate and noncompliance during the gift delay task (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.9; 1.1, p = .2), but lower heart rate predicted higher odds of the child lying (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.3; 0.9, p = .03). In contrast, harsh parenting was associated with mother-reported Aggressive Behaviour (β = .7, 95% CI = 0.4; 0.9, p < .001) and Attention Problems (β = .2, 95% CI = 0.1; 0.3, p < .001), but not with observed lying (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.8; 1.4, p = .8). Lower resting mean heart rate at age 14 months predicts low anxiety symptoms and higher odds of lying at age 3 years. Low resting mean heart rate may be less an indicator of early childhood aggression than of fearless behaviour.

Patterns of cortical thickness and the Child Behavior Checklist in childhood epilepsy

The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the neuroanatomical correlates (cortical thickness) of variations in parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores. Ninety children with epilepsy (aged 8–18) underwent brain MRI, and their parents completed the CBCL. FreeSurfer-derived measures of cortical thickness were examined in relation to the CBCL broad and narrow band competence and behavioral problem scales, as well as the newer DSM-oriented scales. Parent reports of higher (better) social competence skills were associated with increased cortical thickness, especially in frontal regions. Parent reports of behavioral problems were associated with patterns of decreased cortical thickness that varied as a function of the specific behavioral issue under investigation. Congruence of patterns of cortical thinning between the DSM-oriented scales and conceptually related specific problem scales (e.g., ADHD Problems and Attention Problems) was generally weak. The parent-report version of the CBCL is associated with variations in cortical thickness among children with epilepsy. Anatomic abnormalities specific to selected competence and behavioral problem scales can be identified, with more reliable and robust patterns of thinning across scales assessing externalizing behaviors, with generally less prominent findings on scales assessing internalizing behaviors.

Behavioral and Emotional Problem Scales of the Behavioral Assessment for Children of African Heritage (BACAH)

Using extensive African American community input, Black researchers developed the Behavioral Assessment for Children of African Heritage (BACAH). Information regarding its strength dimensions is published but not its behavioral and emotional problem scales. Rational (i.e., expert opinion and mathematical) procedures grouped BACAH problem item responses from 1,465 youth, parent, and teacher informants into eight cross-informant scales labeled Anxiety-, Attention/Hyperactive-, Conduct-, Depression-, Hypomania/Mania-, Oppositional-Defiance-, Self-Destructive-, and Reality-Contact-Problems. Data analyses showed no response bias across child gender, socioeconomic status, or age groupings, but bias emerged across informant type, referral status, and rating scale type (i.e., presence and magnitude vs. concern levels regarding problems). Item linking reduced this bias. Items on each BACAH scale discriminate well for problem levels they assess and capably measure children’s problem levels, ranging from moderately below to above the mean. This study’s foundation and findings provide professionals and their test respondents with culturally valid, user friendly, economical, and highly flexible, clinical/research tools to assess Black children’s functioning.

Basic Psychometric Properties of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales in a Sample of İranian Children

This study was aimed to determine the basic psychometric properties of Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS, Merrell, 2002) in a sample of Iranian children aged 4–6-years (402 children of both sexes). Results show internal consistency of scores on social skills (. 87) and problem behavior (. 92) scales. An exploratory factor analysis was performed using a varimax rotation. Five factors were extracted in the social skills scale: (1) social interaction, (2) social cooperation, (3) social participation, (4) social independence, (5) self-control/social convention and six factors were extracted in the problem behavior scale: (1) attention problems/overactive, (2) antisocial/aggressive, (3) social withdrawal, (4) self-centered, (5) hypersensitivity, (6) anxiety/somatic problems.

Inattention, hyperactivity and low parental education in children with conduct problems and poor reading skills

Concerns over the poor reading performance of children with conduct problems are often expressed by their parents and teachers. In order to intervene effectively with these children, it is necessary to know what their difficulties are, both at school and at home. To date, there is still a lot of ambiguity in relation to the specific difficulties children with conduct problems and coexisting poor reading experience in important academic domains and in the family context. The aim of the present study was to compare the problems of attention and hyperactivity in the classroom and parental education in four groups of children: conduct problems only (CP); conduct problems and coexisting poor reading (CP‐PR); poor reading only (PR); and a comparison group (COM). A sample of 2nd Grade Greek children (n = 113) was selected on the basis of the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale‐28 (CTRS‐28), Conduct Problems Scale and the Reading Ability Detection Test. The CTRS‐28, Inattention and Hyperactivity scales and a brief questionnaire on parental education were used to assess attention, hyperactivity and level of parental education, respectively. The results showed that children with CP‐PR were significantly more inattentive and hyperactive than the other groups of children. Their parents were also more likely to have spent fewer years in school than the parents of CP only and COM children. The earlier findings have implications for intervention planning and theoretical understanding of childhood conduct problems.