Discusses cases in which there is a conflict between what educators perceive as being best for children in light of their program's mission and what parents believe to be best in the context of home life. Suggests looking at problems of this nature from the perspective of each of the key players, one by one. (AA)

Infants' attachment security with parents, parental behavior, and child behavior were assessed at 18-24 months; problem behavior was assessed when the children were in first grade. Found that mother-child relationship predicted later problem behaviors; father-child relationship did not. Also found that attachment security, maternal acceptance, and…

Examined mothers' demands during mothers' interactions with their 1.5- to 3.5-year olds. Mothers with authoritative child-rearing attitudes emphasized proactive, competence-oriented demands and avoided regulatory control. Maternal demands for competent action predicted fewer behavior problems in their children at age five; maternal demands focused…

Two assessments of 26 Spanish-speaking, low-income, Latina mothers and their 26 toddlers, conducted 3 months apart, examined toddlers' behavioral difficulties, mothers' depression, mothers' self-efficacy (as parent), and mothers' social support. Mother's perceived social support at first assessment was predictive of depression level at second…

Discusses the causes of biting behavior and techniques that parents and educators can use to manage biting toddlers. Notes that solutions need to consider the developmental level and needs of the child, the influence of the child's environment, and the role of adults in the child's life. (MDM)

Notes that caregivers, parents, and teachers struggle with discipline; suggests that examination of possible causes of unacceptable behaviors may lead to understanding. Contends that reflection rather than reaction can promote positive outcomes as five basic issues contribute to child behavior: (1) developmental stage; (2) individual difference;…

The efficacy of a mediational model for predicting child behavior problems (N=45 five year olds) from marital discord measures was assessed. Indirect relations between marital discord and both social withdrawal and aggression in the child are discussed. Working models of parents' behaviors are found to guide the child's behavior. (EMK)

Assessed psychometric properties of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:S-E), a screening instrument for 3- to 63-month-olds. Found that internal consistency was generally high. Test-retest reliability between parents' classifications was .94. Overall sensitivity was .82; overall specificity was .92. Parents reported easy…

This study examined the long-term treatment outcomes for 13 families who had participated in the two phases of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy by examining the effects of treatment phase sequence one and two years earlier. Results suggest this treatment may be successful in achieving long-term gains for most families of conduct-disordered…

Used data from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to model developmental trajectories across middle childhood. Found that individual trajectories were extremely diverse in level and sometimes in slope. Compared to girls, boys had heterogeneous slopes for math and behavior problems. Compared to boys, girls showed a significantly higher degree of…

Assessed young children's perceptions about what misconduct behaviors peers are likely to commit at school and the grocery store. Found more moral than conventional misbehaviors were generated; moral acts were expected more often at school whereas conventional misbehaviors were expected in both contexts; and expectations of peers' misbehaviors…

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in externalizing and internalizing problem behaviours in 6-year-olds with a focus on sex differences. Teachers rated problem behaviours at the beginning and at the end of the school year, 8 months apart, in 370 children (197 boys and 173 girls) attending 22 school preparatory classrooms.…

The relations of children's internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors to their concurrent regulation, impulsivity (reactive undercontrol), anger, sadness, and fearfulness and these aspects of functioning 2 years prior were examined. Parents and teachers completed measures of children's (N = 185; ages 6 through 9 years) adjustment, negative…

Prior studies have found remarkable similarity in the family characteristics across a wide range of child psychopathologies. This study investigated the unique relationships between symptoms of depression, conduct problems/aggression, and inattention/hyperactivity and characteristics of the family environment. Parents and teachers completed…

Few mental health initiatives for young children have used classroom programs. Preschool-based efforts targeting externalizing behavior could help prevent conduct disorders. Additional benefits may include improved academic achievement and reduced risk for other mental health difficulties. Pro-grams that target multiple developmental domains are…