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Children's behavior problems in the United States and Great Britain

Toby L Parcel1, Lori Ann Campbell, Wenxuan Zhong

  • 1Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. toby_parcel@ncsu.edu

Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|May 15, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Family capital significantly impacts child behavior problems across the US and UK. Stronger home environments reduce risks, while factors like male gender and health issues increase them.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Developmental Science

Background:

  • Child behavior problems are a significant concern in developmental psychology.
  • Understanding the role of family capital in shaping child behavior is crucial for effective interventions.
  • Cross-cultural comparisons offer insights into universal and context-specific factors influencing child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the effects of family capital on child behavior problems in the United States and Great Britain.
  • To compare risk and protective factors for child behavior problems across two distinct societal contexts.
  • To investigate the potential moderating role of welfare state development on family capital's influence.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal survey data from the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1994, N=3,864) and the British Child sample of the National Child Development Study (1991, N=1,430).
  • Comparison of child behavior problems in 5- to 13-year-old children across both countries.
  • Statistical analysis to identify predictors of child behavior problems, considering family structure and home environment.

Main Results:

  • Male children, those with health problems, and children of divorced mothers face increased risk for behavior problems in both societies.
  • Stronger home environments are associated with reduced risk of child behavior problems.
  • Family structure effects on behavior problems are more pronounced in Great Britain than in the United States, partly due to the US sample's racial diversity.

Conclusions:

  • Parental influence is vital for promoting child social adjustment in both the US and Great Britain.
  • The welfare state in Great Britain does not appear to significantly substitute for family capital in mitigating child behavior problems.
  • Findings underscore the importance of family environments in child development, with cross-cultural variations in the influence of family structure.

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