Social-emotional Characteristics Research Articles

Social-emotional characteristics and special educational needs

The aim of the research described in this article was the development of an instrument to measure social emotional characteristics and special educational and pedagogical needs of students in the last grade of primary education. Questionnaires were developed for teachers as well as for students.

Heterogeneity in the Association Between Social-Emotional Adjustment Profiles and Deviant Behavior Among Male and Female Serious Juvenile Offenders

This article examines the relation among gender, social-emotional adjustment, and deviant behavior among serious juvenile offenders. A sample of 105 adolescent offenders completed questionnaires assessing social-emotional characteristics and self-reported involvement in deviant behaviors. Results indicate significant associations between distress and restraint in predicting deviance, a finding that was invariant across gender. Analysis of four distinct social-emotional profiles found that membership in the reactive group was associated with the greatest amount of deviant behavior. Results also indicate that not only do serious offending girls internalize more than serious offending boys, they appear equally likely to externalize. However, although boys exhibit less distress than girls, those boys who report high rates of deviance may exhibit internalizing and externalizing problems similar to girls. The use of social-emotional measures in general, and distinct profiles in particular, may aid in targeting specific programming and treatment in an effort to provide offenders with more effective interventions.

Social-Emotional Characteristics of Preschool-Aged Children Referred for Child Find Screening and Assessment: A Comparative Study

Differences in parent ratings of social-emotional behavior among young children referred for Child Find screening and assessment and nonreferred children were examined. Participants included 64 preschool-aged children referred for Child Find screening and assessment (CF group) and 64 preschool-aged children without such referrals or identified disabilities (Comparison group). The Comparison group was matched to the CF group by gender and age, using a randomized block procedure. Social-emotional behavior of the participants was assessed using parent ratings on the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scale (PKBS), a social skills and problem-behavior rating scale for use with children aged 3–6. PKBS scores were found to classify the participants into their respective groups with a substantial degree of accuracy. Significant differences were found between the two groups in social skills and problem behavior scores, with the CF participants evidencing greater social skills deficits and problem behavior excesses than the participants in the Comparison group. An inspection of frequency distributions of the two groups revealed that children referred for Child Find screening were approximately four times as likely to have significant social deficits, and approximately six times as likely to have significant problem-behavior excesses than their nonreferred comparison peers. New validity evidence for the PKBS is provided, along with recommendations for future research and clinical practice with the Child Find population.

The Toddler Behavior Checklist: A Parent-Completed Assessment of Social-Emotional Characteristics of Young Preschoolers

This study developed the Toddler Behavior Checklist (TBC), using parental reports of the frequencies of 103 behaviors in children from 9 to 48 months old. Five scales were derived from factor analysis: Oppositional Immaturity, Emotional Instability, Physical Aggression, and Shyness. Adequate psychometric characteristics are reported. Thus the TBC and the recent Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 2-3 meet an important need for efficient assessment of the social-emotional characteristics of children under age 4.