Perspectives On Child Behavior Problems: Comparisons Of Children

In the article “Perspectives on Child Behavior Problems: Comparisons of Children’s Self-Reports With Parent and Teacher Reports”, University of Vermont researchers Vicky Phares, Bruce Compas, and David Howell wanted to see if there was any correlation between a teacher’s report on a child’s self-reported behavior problems, a parent’s report on a child’s self-reported behavior problems, and a parent’s self reported psychological problems on a child’s self reported behavior problems. This study was done in reference to a 1987 study by Achenbach and Edelbrock on child behaviors, as well as a 1984 study by Finch and Rogers on self reporting (Phares et al, 1989, p. 68) Research was conducted in two studies: the first being a study on teacher and parent reporting on a child’s behavior and its relation to the child’s own report, and the second on the parent’s own psychological issue reporting and its influence on the child’s self reporting. The participants for the first study were as follows: 69 children (39 female, 30 male) from ages 11 to 15, the children’s mothers, and their teachers. Participants in the second study were as follows: 88 children (46 female, 42 male) from ages 11 to 14, their mothers, and their fathers. (Phares et al,

It was found that there were “small but significant differences between the reports” (Phares et al, 1989, p. 69), indicating that there are differences in the behavioral reporting of all three groups and they seem to influence each other. It was also shown that the parent and teacher reporting were not always reliable predictors of a child’s behaviors when referenced with the child’s YSR. (Phares et al, 1989, p.