Children's Externalizing Behavior Problems Research Articles

Effects of domestic violence on behavior problems of preschool-aged children: Do maternal mental health and parenting mediate the effects?

Using the first four waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this article examined the effects of mothers who experienced domestic violence at Year 1 on the externalizing and internalizing behavior problems of children at Year 5 and investigated whether maternal mental health and parenting at Year 3 mediated those effects. Findings from structural equation modeling showed partial support for the hypothesized mediation effects. Consistent with the spillover hypothesis, domestic violence at Year 1 had a direct effect on maternal mental health at Year 3, which had direct effects on children's externalizing behavior problems at Year 5. Likewise, domestic violence at Year 1 had direct effects on parenting behavior and spanking at Year 3, and both parenting behavior and spanking then had direct effects on children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems at Year 5. Domestic violence at Year 1 had direct effects on children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems at Year 5. These results suggest that there are long-term effects of domestic violence on the behavior problems of preschool-aged children and that early interventions are needed to prevent later problems among children in families experiencing domestic violence.

Child behavior and mother-child emotional availability in response to parent training program: moderators of outcome

The aim of this study was to assess changes in child behavior and mother-child emotional availability after mother's participation in a parent training program, and to assess the role of various factors which might explain individual variability in these changes. After mothers had participated in the parent training program they reported less child externalizing behavior problems and less child internalizing behavior problems. The child's preschool teacher also reported decreased child externalizing problems during the post-training assessment measure. Observational measures showed increased mother-child emotional availability. Post-training behavioral differences were found depending upon the child's age, with greater changes in positive mother-child emotional availability and preschool teachers reports of decreased internalizing behavior for the older group of children, 4 -5 years old. A decrease in child internalizing behavior was more prominent in families with more than one child.

Identification of Families At Risk for Behavior Problems in Primary Care Settings

Parenting practices and cognitions are associated with child externalizing behavior problems. Parenting programs targeting these areas are effective in improving child behavior but are limited to the extent to which they reach at-risk families. This study compared the parenting practices and cognitions of parents with high and low tolerance for misbehavior to parents of children with clinically significant behavior problems to evaluate the utility of assessing parental tolerance for identifying children at risk for externalizing behavior problems. Participants were 1014 parents of children between the ages of 2 and 16 years presenting for primary care. Parents completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, Parenting Scale, and Parenting Sense of Competence Scale. Parents with high and low tolerance resembled the clinically significant problem groups in both parental behaviors and cognitions. Differences regarding parental cognitions were consistent across all age groups assessed. This study demonstrated the clinical utility of interpreting caregiver responses to questions about the intensity of their child's behavior problems and parental tolerance for these problems separately. Results indicated that parents with high or low tolerance for their child's behavior are at risk of having children with clinically significant behavior problems. Parents who are concerned about their child's behavior, even if their child does not currently exhibit clinically significant behavior problems, are likely to profit from early intervention for behavior problems.

The Association of Birth Complications and Externalizing Behavior in Early Adolescents: Direct and Mediating Effects.

Prior studies have shown that birth complications interact with psychosocial risk factors in predisposing to increased externalizing behavior in childhood and criminal behavior in adulthood. However, little is known about the direct relationship between birth complications and externalizing behavior. Furthermore, the mechanism by which the birth complications predispose to externalizing behavior is not well explored. This study aims to assess whether birth complications predispose to early adolescent externalizing behavior and to test whether Intelligence Quotient (IQ) mediates relationships between predictor and outcome variables. We used data from a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort of 1,795 3-year-old boys and girls from Mauritius to test hypotheses. Birth complications were assessed from hospital record data, malnutrition from a pediatric exam at age 3 years, psychosocial adversity from parental interviews at age 3 years, and externalizing behavior problems from parental ratings at age 11 years. We found that babies with birth complications are more likely to develop externalizing behavior problems at age 11. Low IQ was associated with birth complications and was found to mediate the link between early predictors and later externalizing behavior. These prospective, longitudinal findings have potential clinical implications for the identification of early adolescent externalizing behavior and for public health attempts to prevent the occurrence of child externalizing behavior problems.

Dissemination of the Coping Power program: Importance of intensity of counselor training.

This study examined an important but rarely investigated aspect of the dissemination process: the intensity of training provided to practitioners. Counselors in 57 schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: Coping Power-training plus feedback (CP-TF), Coping Power-basic training (CP-BT), or a comparison condition. CP-TF counselors produced reductions in children's externalizing behavior problems and improvements in children's social and academic skills in comparison to results for target children in both the comparison and the CP-BT conditions. Training intensity was critical for successful dissemination, although the implementation mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear, as condition effects were not significant for completion of session objectives but were significant for the quality of counselors' engagement with children.

Community Violence, Interpartner Conflict, Parenting, and Social Support as Predictors of the Social Competence of African American Preschool Children

Adopting an ecological framework, this study examines the role of community violence exposure, interpartner conflict, positive parenting, and informal social support in predicting the social skills and behavior problems of low-income African American preschoolers. Participants were 184 African American mothers and female caregivers of Head Start children who completed study measures in a structured interview. Regression analyses revealed that greater community violence exposure predicted more internalizing and externalizing child behavior problems and lower levels of self-control and cooperation. Greater interpartner conflict predicted more internalizing problems. Positive parenting was predictive of fewer internalizing and externalizing problems and higher levels of child self-control and cooperation. Greater informal social support predicted higher levels of all four child social skills, including self-control, cooperation, assertion, and responsibility. Positive parenting and informal social support failed to moderate the relationships between community violence exposure and interpartner conflict and child outcomes. Implications of the findings for intervention and future research are discussed.

Marital tension and coparenting

Coparenting relationships endure in family even when marriages end. During separation or divorce process, parents move the conflict from conjugal area on level of coparenting. Parent seems non able to make a distinction between their feeling about one other as “marital couple” and their assessment of one another's parenting. They can engage in competitive interaction and show hostility in the presence of their child. Conflictual coparenting interactions results non only in behavioral competition but even in verbal competition. That is, parents can weaken the parenting alliance by denigrating coparenting partner to the child or hindering his/her interaction with child. Sometime parents are not able to maintain comparable levels of engagement with their children gathering all attention on one's own problems. In sum separated and conflictual co-parents risk to manifest hostility, competitiveness or discrepant levels of involvement in triadic interaction with their children. Many studies have substantiated the positive association between marital quality and coparenting. More specific, it was observed that overall marital quality was positively associated with concurrent coparenting harmony and negatively associated with concurrent coparenting negativity. In addition reports have concurred that conflict and negative coparenting predicts a variety of internalizing and externalizing child behavior problems. However we are agree with studies that have disentangled coparenting from both husband-wife relationship system and dyadic parent-child relationship quality. Coparenting and marital process seem to be distinct from one other in terms of their impact on child's socioemotional adjustment too.

Externalizing Behaviors among Children of HIV Seropositive Former and Current Drug Users: Parent Support Network Factors as Social Ecological Risks

Children affected by their parents' dual drug use and HIV/AIDS face considerable challenges to their psychosocial development, including parent dysfunction and foster care placement. While HIV/AIDS may increase parents' mobilization of social support, their drug use may restrict who is available to help them, with potential implications to the adjustment of their children with whom they remain in contact. This study sought to identify dually affected children's living situations, and parent and parent's support network factors as correlates of children's externalizing problem behaviors. An urban community sample of 462 HIV seropositive, current or former drug-using parents were queried about their children aged 5-15 years old. One hundred ninety-four children were reported by 119 parents. The outcome was children's externalizing behaviors of ever having been suspended or expelled from school, criminal-justice system involvement, or illicit drug or heavy alcohol use. Independent variables included kin and drug users in parent's support network. Generalized estimating equations were used to adjust for the potential correlation of children of the same parent. Among parents, 63% were mothers, 57% current opioid or cocaine users, 85% were African American, 35% had AIDS or CD<200, and 53% had high depressive symptoms (CES-D>or=16); median age was 38. Among children, median age was 12; 23% lived with the nominating parent, 65% with other family, and 11% in non-kin foster care. While only 34% of parents reported child custody, 43% reported daily contact with their child, and 90% reported high emotional closeness. Parents reported externalizing behaviors among 32% of the children. Logistic regression indicated that externalizing behavior was positively associated with parent's physical limitations and proportion of illicit drug users in parent's support network. A significant interaction was found indicating that the effect of parent's support network-level drug use was greater for children living with versus not living with the parent. The model adjusted for parent's current drug use and depressive symptoms, which were not significant. Results indicate that while only a minority of these dually affected children lived with the parent, the parents' physical limitations and embeddedness in drug using support networks, particularly if living with their children, was associated with the children's maladjustment. It is plausible that these factors interfere with parenting, expose the children to conflict or adverse social influences, or obligate children to assume caregiving for their parent. While dually affected children's contact with their parents may have important benefits, results suggest it presents ongoing needs for intervention with the children, their parents, and caregivers.

Pathways to Problem Behaviors: Chaotic Homes, Parent and Child Effortful Control, and Parenting

AbstractGuided by Belsky's and Eisenberg, Cumberland, and Spinrad's heuristic models, we tested a process model with hypothesized paths from parents' effortful control (EC) and family chaos to indices of parenting to children's EC, and finally children's externalizing problem behavior. Parents reported on all constructs and children ( N = 188; M age = 9.55 years) reported on their EC and externalizing problem behaviors. Consistent with expectations, parents' EC promoted their positive (and inhibited negative) reactions to children's negative emotions. In addition, high levels of family chaos predicted low levels of parental positive reactions to children's emotion. Children's EC was predicted by high levels of positive reactions and low levels of negative reactions. As expected, children's externalizing problem behaviors were negatively related to their EC. Results clarify possible family processes by which children's EC is enhanced and problem behaviors are reduced.

A conceptual model for the development of externalizing behavior problems among kindergarten children of alcoholic families: role of parenting and children's self-regulation.

The purpose of this study was to test a conceptual model predicting children's externalizing behavior problems in kindergarten in a sample of children with alcoholic (n = 130) and nonalcoholic (n = 97) parents. The model examined the role of parents' alcohol diagnoses, depression, and antisocial behavior at 12-18 months of child age in predicting parental warmth/sensitivity at 2 years of child age. Parental warmth/sensitivity at 2 years was hypothesized to predict children's self-regulation at 3 years (effortful control and internalization of rules), which in turn was expected to predict externalizing behavior problems in kindergarten. Structural equation modeling was largely supportive of this conceptual model. Fathers' alcohol diagnosis at 12-18 months was associated with lower maternal and paternal warmth/sensitivity at 2 years. Lower maternal warmth/sensitivity was longitudinally predictive of lower child self-regulation at 3 years, which in turn was longitudinally predictive of higher externalizing behavior problems in kindergarten, after controlling for prior behavior problems. There was a direct association between parents' depression and children's externalizing behavior problems. Results indicate that one pathway to higher externalizing behavior problems among children of alcoholics may be via parenting and self-regulation in the toddler to preschool years.

O impacto do temperamento infantil, da responsividade e das práticas educativas maternas nos problemas de externalização e na competência social da criança

O estudo investigou o impacto do temperamento infantil, da responsividade materna e das práticas educativas maternas, nos problemas de externalização e na competência social de crianças. Participaram 23 díades mãe-criança de diferentes níveis socioeconômicos. No 3º mês de vida do bebê avaliou-se o temperamento da criança e a responsividade materna. No 30º mês de vida da criança foram investigadas as práticas educativas maternas, os problemas de externalização e a competência social das crianças. Análise de regressão linear múltipla revelou que somente as práticas educativas foram fatores significativos para explicar a variância nos problemas de externalização e na competência social. Discute-se a relevância das práticas parentais e as limitações da avaliação do temperamento e responsividade materna como preditores para a compreensão do desenvolvimento social.

Is the maternal Q-Set a valid measure of preschool child attachment behavior?

The objective of this study is to examine preschool-age correlates of the maternal version of the Attachment Q-Set (AQS) (Waters & Deane, 1985) in order to provide validity data. Concurrent associations between the Attachment Q-Set and measures of separation-reunion attachment classifications (Cassidy & Marvin, 1992), quality of mother–child interaction, maternal stress, and child externalizing behavior problems were examined for a low-risk sample of 152 preschool children. Results showed that, even after controlling for maternal stress, ambivalent and disorganized children had lower scores on the AQS when compared with the secure group. However, avoidant and controlling children did not differ from secure children in maternal sorts. Significant associations between the maternal Q-Set and affective quality of mother–child interaction were also maintained, when controlling for maternal stress. The AQS was significantly associated with both mother and teacher reported externalizing behavior problem reports, but the association with teacher reports was not maintained when maternal stress was entered in the equation as a covariate. The discussion focuses on the validity of the maternal Q-Set as a measure of child attachment behavior in preschoolers.

Mentoring Youth with Psychiatric Disorders: The Impact on Child and Parent Functioning

ABSTRACT This study examined the effectiveness of a behavioral mentoring program aimed at serving youth with psychiatric disorders. Participants included 30 youth (8–12 years old) receiving services in a mentoring program for a mental health population and 30 wait-listed youth and their maternal caregivers. Participating in mentoring services was related to higher family functioning across a number of domains including child behavior, parenting stress, perceived parent social support, and perceived parent-child relationship quality. As predicted, parenting stress mediated the relationship between mentoring and children's externalizing behavior problems. Results suggest that mentoring services may be a useful adjunct service for highly stressed families with children with emotional and behavioral disorders.

Father–infant interaction patterns as precursors of children’s later externalizing behavior problems

This study examined the extent to which fathers' and infants' interaction behavior were related to children's externalizing behavior problems at age 8 and 11 years. In a prospective longitudinal study of children at risk for later psychopathology, 72 fathers and their 3-month-old children were videotaped and evaluated during a standardized playing and nursing situation. Externalizing behavior problems at age 8 and 11 years were assessed using Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist. In the high externalizing group, fathers were found to be less responsive and less sensitive (the latter only with respect to girls) during early interaction than fathers of the low externalizing group, while children were more positive with their fathers. Furthermore, low scores on the interaction pattern of "sensitive fathering/negative infant" and high scores on the "nonresponsive fathering or active infant" pattern were associated with more externalizing problems. These findings suggest that father and infant interaction behaviors during early infancy may predict later problem behaviors at school age, although the mechanisms underlying this relationship have yet to be identified.

Adaptation of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy for Puerto Rican Families: A Preliminary Study

This study examines how parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) was adapted for Puerto Rican parents of children aged 4-6 with hyperactivity and other significant behavior problems. Four steps were followed: (1) translation and preliminary adaptation of the treatment manual, (2) application of the treatment to 9 families as part of an exploratory study using repeated measures, (3) treatment revision and refinement, and (4) in-depth interviews with parents (n=15) and clinical psychologists (n=5) from Puerto Rico who provided feedback on treatment process and components. Throughout this process, cultural elements and modifications were recommended to be incorporated into the treatment protocol. Both quantitative and qualitative results suggest that PCIT seems to be an acceptable intervention for this population, with some minor changes. Parents reported a high level of satisfaction, a significant reduction in children's externalizing behavior problems, and reduction of parenting stress and improvement in their parenting practices. Psychologists also evaluated positively the treatment protocol and recommended its use. Results from this study may inform clinicians and researchers who work with Latino families about relevant issues to be considered to promote their participation in behavioral family interventions and to enhance their acceptability and effectiveness.

Estabilidades e mudanças em padrões familiares de crianças com problemas de comportamento exteriorizado

A literatura sobre crianças com problemas de comportamento exteriorizado tem enfatizado a necessidade de descrever a origem e a evolução desses comportamentos. Este estudo visa comparar as continuidades e mudanças no perfil cognitivo, no estresse parental e na qualidade das relações familiares de crianças com problemas de comportamento exteriorizado. Participaram da coleta de dados sete crianças pré-escolares morando com ambos os pais biológicos, com a mãe e o padrasto ou com apenas um genitor. Foram aplicados testes de avaliação cognitiva às crianças e, aos genitores/padrastos, questionário, entrevista semi-estruturada e escala de estresse parental, em dois momentos, ao longo de um ano. Os resultados mostram que houve uma melhora no perfil cognitivo das crianças; alterações na percepção dos genitores/padrastos quanto às características das crianças, ao modo de vida e relacionamento familiar; e estabilidade nos índices de estresse parental. Para compreender melhor a evolução dos comportamentos exteriorizados é preciso implementar pesquisas longitudinais.

Maternal Distress and Expressed Emotion: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Relationships With Behavior Problems of Children With Intellectual Disabilities

Mothers of children with intellectual disability were assessed at two time points, 2 years apart (n = 75 at Time 1, n = 56 at Time 2). Data were gathered on maternal distress, mental health, expressed emotion, and the child's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Consistent with previous research with families of children who have intellectual disability, maternal distress and children's behavior problems entered into a bidirectional relationship over time. This relationship was found to be specific to externalizing problems. Exploratory analyses also suggest that maternal distress and depression had a bidirectional longitudinal relationship. In terms of maternal expressed emotion, criticism and not emotional over-involvement was cross-sectionally but not longitudinally related to children's externalizing behavior problems and to maternal distress.

Predictors of parent training efficacy for child externalizing behavior problems – a meta‐analytic review

The differential effectiveness of parent training has led researchers to examine a variety of child, parent, and familial variables that may predict treatment response. Studies have identified a diverse set of child, parent psychological/behavioral and demographic variables that are associated with treatment outcome and dropout. The parent training literature was examined to isolate child, parent, and family variables that predict response to parent training for child externalizing behavior problems. A literature review was conducted spanning articles published from 1980 to 2004 of indicated prevention (children with symptoms) and treatment (children with diagnosis) studies. Meta-analyses were conducted to determine standardized effect sizes associated with the identified predictors. Many of the predictors of treatment response examined in this meta-analysis resulted in moderate standardized effect sizes when study results were subjected to meta-analytic procedures (i.e., low education/occupation, more severe child behavior problems pretreatment, maternal psychopathology). Only low family income resulted in a large standardized effect size. Predictors of drop-out resulted in standardized effect sizes in the small or insubstantial range. Response to parent training is often influenced by variables not directly involving the child, with socioeconomic status and maternal mental health being particularly salient factors.

Relationship of Corporal Punishment and Antisocial Behavior by Neighborhood

To examine the relationship of corporal punishment with children's behavior problems while accounting for neighborhood context and while using stronger statistical methods than previous literature in this area, and to examine whether different levels of corporal punishment have different effects in different neighborhood contexts. Longitudinal cohort study. General community. 1943 mother-child pairs from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Internalizing and externalizing behavior problem scales of the Behavior Problems Index. Parental use of corporal punishment was associated with a 0.71 increase (P<.05) in children's externalizing behavior problems even when several parenting behaviors, neighborhood quality, and all time-invariant variables were accounted for. The association of corporal punishment and children's externalizing behavior problems was not dependent on neighborhood context. The research found no discernible relationship between corporal punishment and internalizing behavior problems.

Family Conflict and Children's Behavior Problems: The Moderating Role of Child Temperament

Child temperament was examined as a moderator of the link between family conflict and child behavior problems. Temperament assessed in early childhood was used to predict the relation between family conflict and externalizing behavior problems measured during the early elementary school years. For children with difficult temperament, a strong association between subsequent family conflict and behavioral adjustment was predicted; for children with easy or intermediate temperaments, low to moderate associations were predicted. These hypotheses were tested across 3 temperament groups (easy, intermediate, and difficult). Data were collected from 108 children and families participating in the Fullerton Longitudinal Study at ages 3 through 10 years. Consistent with the hypotheses, the data provided support for the moderating role of temperament in predicting the association between family conflict and child externalizing behavior problems. These findings suggest that temperamental difficultness operates as a vulnerability factor with respect to the development of children's behavior problems in families with high conflict.