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The behaviour of 3-year-old children: prevalence and parental perception of problem behaviour: a research note
1Psychology Department, Royal United Hospital, Bath, U.K.
Insights
A revised Behaviour Checklist (BCL) found that 10% of 3-year-olds had behavior problems, and 66% of parents reported concerns. Early identification and addressing parental concerns are crucial for child development.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Parental concern is a key indicator of potential child behavioral issues.
- Routine developmental assessments offer opportunities for early screening.
- The Behaviour Checklist (BCL) is a tool used in child development assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of an enhanced Behaviour Checklist (BCL) incorporating parental concern ratings.
- To determine the prevalence of behavior problems and parental concerns in 3-year-old children.
- To explore differences in parental concerns based on sibling status.
Main Methods:
- A modified Behaviour Checklist (BCL) with a parental concern rating was administered.
- The assessment was part of a routine developmental evaluation for 1170 three-year-old children.
- Data analysis focused on prevalence rates and differences between groups.
Main Results:
- Overall, 10% of children exhibited behavior problems based on a cut-off score.
- A significant majority (66%) of parents reported at least one concern about their child's behavior.
- Parents of only children reported more concerns, despite no observed behavioral differences.
Conclusions:
- The enhanced Behaviour Checklist (BCL) shows promise as a routine screening tool for identifying child behavior problems.
- Addressing parental concerns early in development is essential for timely intervention.
- Sibling status may influence parental reporting of concerns, warranting further investigation.
Abstract:
A rating of parental concern was added to the Behaviour Checklist (BCL), which was then used as part of a Health Visitor administered routine developmental assessment of 1170, 3-year-old children. The overall prevalence of behaviour problems using a cut-off score of 10 was 10%, with 66% of parents having one or more concerns about their child. There were no sex differences. Parents of only children had more concerns on 6 of the 19 items even though their children behaved no differently from those with siblings. The usefulness of the BCL as a routine screening measure and the need to identify and address parental concerns at an early stage is discussed.