Prediction Model of Child Behavioral Problems in the School Age Children

Moon, Young Sook; Park, In Sook; Park, Young Ok

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors of child behavioral problems and construct a descriptive model that explains child behavioral problems for school age children. METHOD: The participants in the study were 586 4th, 5th, 6th graders and their mothers. The children attended 8 elementary schools located in Taejon city and their mothers. The tools used in this study was the Mother's Child Raising Behavior Scale by Park, Seong-Yeon and Yi, Sook(1990). To measure child's self esteem, the Self Esteem Scale by Kim(1987) was used; child perceived social support was measured with the Social Support Evaluation Scale by Dubow and Ullman(1989), and childhood behavioral problems were measured with the Korean standardized of version of the Korean-Child Behavior Checklist(K-CBCL)(1997). Descriptive statistics and linear structural relationship(LISREL) modeling were used to analyze the data. SAS and LISREL 8.12a programs were used.
RESULTS
The overall fit of the hypothetical model to the data was good < chi-square=103.07(p=0.00), GFI=0.96, AGFI=0.94, RMSR=0.04, RMSEA= 0.07, NFI=0.94, NNFI=0.95 > Maternal child raising behaviors(T=2.21) and child perceived social support(T=10.29) had a significant, direct effect on a child's self esteem. Maternal child raising behaviors(T=-3.87), and child self esteem(T=-2.04) and had a significant total effect on child behavioral problems. These variables accounted for 63 % of the variance of the child behavioral problems in the school age children.
CONCLUSION
These finding have provided support for maternal child raising behaviors, child perceived social support, and child self esteem as predictive variables of behavioral problems in school age children.