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Chronic Family Adversity and Early Child Behavior Problems: A Longitudinal Study of Low Income Families
Author(s) -
Shaw Daniel S.,
Vondra Joan I.,
Hommerding Katherine Dowdell,
Keenan Kate,
Dunn Marija
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1994.tb01812.x
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , family income , clinical psychology , longitudinal study , low income , medicine , pathology , economics , economic growth , socioeconomics , sociology
— A beginning step in the prevention of child psychopathology is the identification of conditions associated with a disproportionately high incidence of behavior problems. Rutter and colleagues (British Journal of Psychiatry , 1975, 126, 493‐509) have reported a dramatic increase in the probability of child adjustment difficulties as a function of multiple family stressors. However, few investigators have tested this association beginning in infancy. The present investigation examines this relationship at the ages of 1 and 2 with behavioral adjustment at age 3 among 100 low‐income families. Broad support was found for the family adversity hypothesis, though sex differences were evident regarding individual correlates of problem behavior.