Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Gender Differences in Internalized and Externalized Behavioral Problems among School Going Children


Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology Yashwantrao Chavan Mahavidyalaya Pachwad, Maharashtra, India
2 Department of Psychology Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune, Maharashtra, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Problem behaviour is a form of deviant behaviour which deteriorates the mental health of school children. Some behavioral problems are transitory in nature or expected of children of a certain age whereas few other problem behaviours are severe and require more complex multi-level interventions. The purpose of the research was to study gender ditferences among school children on internalized and externalized behaviour problems. The sample of this study consists of 120 school children aged 11 to 14 years. Both boys and girls were selected in euqal numbers trom nuclear families with middle socio-economical status. The behaviour problems were assessed using Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) developed by Achenbach and Rescoria (2001). The analysis of One-way ANOVA revealed significant gender differences on both internalized and externalized behaviour problems. The results showed significant gender differences for all behavioural problems namely, withdrawn/depressed, anxiety/depressed, somatic complaints, social problem, attention problem, aggressive behaviour, rule-breaking behaviour and thought problem. It was noted that the internalized behaviour problems such as withdrawn/depressed, anxiety/depressed, somatic complaints, and social problem were higher among female children than male children. In contrast, externalized behaviour problems such as attention problem, aggressive behaviour, rule-breaking behaviour and thought problem were higher among male children than female children.

Keywords

Behavioural Problems, Internalized, Externalized, Attention Problem, Aggressive Behaviour.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual_for the child behavior checklist/418 and 1991 profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
  • Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1991). The child behavior checklist and revised child behavior profile. Burlington, VT: University Associates in Psychiatry.
  • Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorio, L. A. (2001). Manual_for the children behavior checklist 618 2001 profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
  • Alloy, L. B., Jacobson, N. S., & Acocella, J. (1999). Abnormal psychology: Current perspectives. USA: McGraw-Hill Companies.
  • Alsaker, F. D. (1996). Annotation: The impact of puberty. .Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, .57,249-258.
  • American Psychiatric Association (1994). diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders {Ai^ ed.) (DSM-IV). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
  • American Psychiatric Association (2000). diagnostic and statistical manual of cental disorders text revision (4th ed.) (DSM-IV-TR). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association.
  • Barkley, R. A. (1990). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Barkley, R. A. (1991). Diagnosis and assessment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Comprehensive Mental Health Care, 1, 27-44.
  • Barkmann, C., & Schulte-Markwort, M. (2005). Emotional and behavioral problems of children and adolescents in Germany: An epidemiological screening. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 40(5), 357-366.
  • Bongers, L. I., Koot, M.H., & Verhulst, C. F. (2003). The normative development ofchild and adolescentproblembehavior. 772,179-192.
  • Broderick, P. (1998). Early adolescent differences in the use of ruminative and distracting coping strategies. The Journal of Earl-y Adolescence, /5(2), 173-191.
  • Campbell, A. (2004). Staying alive: Evolution, culture, and women's intrasexual aggression. Behavior and Brain Sciences, 27(2), 203-214.
  • Campbell, M. A., & Rapee,R. M. (1994). The nature offeared outcome representations in chUdiQn. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology „ 22(1),, 99-111.
  • Campbell, S. B. (1990). Behavior problems in preschool children: Clinical and developmental issues. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Cohen, P., Cohen, J., Kasen, S., Velez, C. N., Hartnark, C., Johnson, J., Rojas, M., Brook, J., & Streuning, E. L. (1993). An epidemiological study of disorders in late childhood and adolescence: I age and gender specific prevalence. .Journal of Child Neurology, 34,851-867.
  • Conners, C. K. (1997). Conners' Rating Scales-revised. Toronto, ON: Multi-Health Systems Inc.
  • Costello, E. J., Egger, H. L., & Angold, A. (2003). Developmental epidemiology of anxiety disorders. In T. H. Ollendick and J. S. March (Eds.), Phobic anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: A clinician's guide to effectivepsychosocial and pharmacological interventions (pp. 61-91). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
  • Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Mosher, M. (1997). Relational and overt aggression in preschool. Developmental Psychology, .52(4), 579-588.
  • Davison, G., & Neale, J. (1994). Abnormal Psychology (6'^ ed.). New York: Wiley.
  • Deb, S., Chatterjee, P., & Walsh, K. (2010). Anxiety among high school students in India: Comparisons across gender, school type, social strata and perceptions of quality time with parents. Australian Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 10,18-31.
  • DuPaul, G. J., & Stoner, G. (1994). ADHD in the schools. Assessment and intervention strategies. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Eisen, A. R., Kearney, C. A., & Schaefer, C. E. (1995). Clinical handbook of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Northvale, NJ: JasonAronson.
  • Emerson, E. (1997). Is there an increased prevalence of severe learning disabilities a:mong'BrXsh.Asa:nAl Eth-nicity and Health, 2,317-321.
  • Gillberg, I. C., Wahlstrom, J., Forsman, A., Hellgren, L., & Gillberg, I. C. (1986). Teenage psychoses-epidemiology, classification and reduced optimality in the pre-, 'peii- a:nd'posXnaia.'pQXods. Journal of Child Psychology a-nd Psychiatry, 27, 87-98.
  • Goldstein, J. S. (2001). War and gender: Haw gender shapes the -war system and vice versa (p. 144). New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Goodman, L. A.,Koss, M. P., Fitzgerald, L. F.,Keita, G. P., & Russo, N. F. (1993). Male violence against women. American Psychologist, 45(10), 1054-1058.
  • Hankin, B., & Abramson, L. (1999). Development of gender differences in depression: Description and possible explanations.Annals of Medicine, 31, 372-379.
  • Hudziak, J. J. (1998). DSM-IV checklist for childhood disorders. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth and Families.
  • Kale, S. V. (1980). Child psychology and child guidance. Mumbai: Himalaya Publishing House.
  • Keenan, K., Shaw, D., Delliquadri, E., Giovannelli, J., & Walsh, B. (1998). Evidence for the continuity of early problem behaviors: Application of a developmental model. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 26,441-452.
  • Koss, M. P., Goodman, L. A., Browne, A., Fitzgerald, L. F., Keita, G. P., & Russo, N. F. (1994). No safe haven: Male violence against -women at home, at work and in the community. Washington: American Psychological Association.
  • Lier,P. A. C., van Verhulst, F. C., van der Ende, J., & Crijnen,A. A. M. (2003). Classes of disruptive behaviour in a sample of young elementary school children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 44, 377-387.
  • Lopez-Soler, C., Fernandez, M. V., Castro, M., Alcantara, M. V., & Lopez-Pina, J. A. (2009). Factorial structure, comorbidity and prevalence of the thought problems empirical syndrome in paediatric sample. An-nuary of Clinical and Health Psychology, 5, 55-62.
  • Loranger, A. W. (1984). Sex difference in age at onset of schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 157-161.
  • Mansell, J. (1992). Services for people with learning disabilities and challenging behavior or mental healthneeds. London: HMSO
  • Mesman, J., Bongers, L. I., &Koot,M. H. (2001).Preschool developmental pathways to preadolescent internalizing and externalizing problems. .Journal of Child Neurology, 42,679-689.
  • Miller, E., &Morley, S. (9^6). Investigating abnormal behavior. London: Erlbaum.
  • National Crime Records Bureau (2000). Accidental deaths and suicides in India: 2000. India, Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
  • Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
  • Pierce, E.W., Ewing, L. J., & Campbell, S. B. (1999). Diagnostic status and symptomatic behavior of hard-to manage preschool children in middle childhood and early adolescence. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 25,44-57.
  • Poulton, R., Milne, B. J., Craske, M. G., & Menzies, R. G. (2001). Alongitudinal study of the etiology of separation anxiety, behaviour Research and Therap-y, 39, 13951410.
  • Reddy, G. L., Santhakumari, P., Kusuma, A., & Shyamala, V. (2005). Behavior disorders in children. New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House.
  • Roussos, A., Karantanos, G., Richardson, C., Hartman, C., Karajiannis, D., & Kyprianos, S., Lazaratou, H., Mahaira, O., Tassi, M., & Zoubou, V. (1999). Achenbach's child behavior checklist and teacher report form in a normative sample of Greek children 6-12 years old. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 5(1), 165-172.
  • Rutter, M., & Smith, D. J. (1995). Towards causal explanations of time trends in psychosocial disorders of youth. In M. Rutter and D. J. Smith (Eds.), Psychosocial trends in young people: Time trends and their causes, (pp. 782-808). Chichester: Wiley,
  • See, J. H. (1998). The Violence's of Men: How men talk about and how agencies respond to men's 'violence to -women. London: Sage Publication.
  • Silberg, J. L., Pickles, A., Rutter, M., Hewitt, J., Simonoff, E., Maes, H., Caronneau, R., Murrelle, L., Foley, D., & Eaves, L. (1999). The influence of genetic factors and life stress on depression among adolescent girls. Archive of German Psychiatry, 56(3) 225-232.
  • Stahl, A. (1991). Belief of Jewish-oriental mothers regarding children who are mentally retarded. Education and Training in Mental Retardation, 26, 361-369.
  • Weiss, D. D., & Last, C. G. (2001). Developmental variations in the prevalence and manifestations of anxiety disorders. In M. W. Vasey and M. R. Dadds (Eds.), The developmental psychopathology of anxiety (pp. 27-42). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
  • Weisz, J. R., Suwanlet, S., Chaiyasit, W., Weiss, B., Walter, B. R., & Anderson, W.W. (1998). Thai and American perspectives on over and under controlled childbehavior problems: Exploring the threshold model among parents, teachers and psyehoXogisXs.Jour-nal ofCou-nseHing and Clinical Psychology, 56, 601-609.
  • Zahn-Waxler, C. (1993). Warriors and worriers: Gender and psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 5,79-89.
  • Zoccolillo, M. (1993). Gender and the development of conduct disorder. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 65-78.

Abstract Views: 613

PDF Views: 0




  • Gender Differences in Internalized and Externalized Behavioral Problems among School Going Children

Abstract Views: 613  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Ezaz A. Shaikh
Department of Psychology Yashwantrao Chavan Mahavidyalaya Pachwad, Maharashtra, India
Vishavnath R. Shinde
Department of Psychology Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune, Maharashtra, India

Abstract


Problem behaviour is a form of deviant behaviour which deteriorates the mental health of school children. Some behavioral problems are transitory in nature or expected of children of a certain age whereas few other problem behaviours are severe and require more complex multi-level interventions. The purpose of the research was to study gender ditferences among school children on internalized and externalized behaviour problems. The sample of this study consists of 120 school children aged 11 to 14 years. Both boys and girls were selected in euqal numbers trom nuclear families with middle socio-economical status. The behaviour problems were assessed using Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) developed by Achenbach and Rescoria (2001). The analysis of One-way ANOVA revealed significant gender differences on both internalized and externalized behaviour problems. The results showed significant gender differences for all behavioural problems namely, withdrawn/depressed, anxiety/depressed, somatic complaints, social problem, attention problem, aggressive behaviour, rule-breaking behaviour and thought problem. It was noted that the internalized behaviour problems such as withdrawn/depressed, anxiety/depressed, somatic complaints, and social problem were higher among female children than male children. In contrast, externalized behaviour problems such as attention problem, aggressive behaviour, rule-breaking behaviour and thought problem were higher among male children than female children.

Keywords


Behavioural Problems, Internalized, Externalized, Attention Problem, Aggressive Behaviour.

References