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Perceived neighborhood characteristics and problem behavior among disadvantaged children
Jennifer L Moren-Cross1, Darlene R Wright, Mark LaGory
1Department of Sociology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA. jmcross@soc.duke.edu
Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|December 20, 2005
Summary
Maternal perceptions of neighborhood quality significantly impact children's behavior. Negative neighborhood views correlate with increased externalizing and internalizing problems in children, even after accounting for income.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Neighborhood characteristics can influence child development.
- Understanding these influences is crucial for early intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between maternal perceptions of neighborhood attributes and their third-grade children's behavioral problems.
- To investigate if neighborhood perceptions mediate the effects of family income on child behavior.
Main Methods:
- Survey data from 576 former Head Start children across 15 national sites.
- Maternal subjective neighborhood attributions measured across five domains.
- Children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors assessed using the Social Skills Rating System.
Main Results:
- Worse maternal assessments of neighborhood constructs correlated with greater child problem behaviors.
- Perceived neighborhood domains partially mediated the impact of family income on child behavior.
- Neighborhood deprivation is linked to adverse behavioral outcomes in children.
Conclusions:
- Maternal subjective neighborhood attributions are significant predictors of children's behavioral problems.
- Neighborhood environment plays a role in mediating socioeconomic disparities in child behavior.
- Targeting neighborhood perceptions may offer a pathway to improve child behavioral outcomes.
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