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Impact of neighborhood disadvantage on overt behavior problems during early childhood

Emily B Winslow1, Daniel S Shaw

  • 1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-6005, USA.

Aggressive Behavior
|April 21, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Neighborhood disadvantage impacts child behavior problems (BPs). Boys in extremely disadvantaged neighborhoods showed increased overt BPs transitioning to school, even after controlling for other factors.

Area of Science:

  • Child psychology
  • Urban sociology
  • Developmental psychology

Background:

  • Longitudinal studies on neighborhood disadvantage and child behavior problems (BPs) are limited.
  • Early childhood BPs can have long-term consequences.
  • Socioeconomic factors significantly influence child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the longitudinal impact of neighborhood disadvantage on overt behavior problems in a low-income, urban sample.
  • To identify specific neighborhood characteristics that predict BPs in early childhood.
  • To understand the transition of behavior problems from toddlerhood to school entry.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 281 African American and European American boys from toddlerhood to school entry.
  • Utilized census data for neighborhood disadvantage and maternal reports for BPs.
  • Controlled for age 2 BPs, family selection variables, and residential instability.

Main Results:

  • Neighborhood disadvantage significantly predicted overt BPs at age 6, particularly in extremely disadvantaged ('underclass') neighborhoods.
  • These effects persisted after controlling for initial BPs, family, and residential factors.
  • The transition to elementary school was a critical period for observing neighborhood impacts.

Conclusions:

  • Extreme neighborhood disadvantage poses a risk for overt behavior problems in boys during the school transition.
  • Early intervention and support in high-disadvantage areas are crucial.
  • Further research should explore mediating factors in the neighborhood-child BP relationship.

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