Parental practices and behavioral problems

Abstract

The preschool stage is decisive for the development of the human being, due to the great flexibility that makes it possible to acquire new behaviors and emotional learning. Objectives: (1) To investigate the externalized and internalized behaviors in preschool children according to parents and teachers, and the parental involvement according to age, gender and socioeconomic level (NSE); (2) Analyze these behaviors with the positive and negative parental practices reported by parents and educators. Participants: 293 children aged 2-5 years, 136 girls (46.4%) 293 parents and 54 teachers, from La Concepción, Chile. The design is descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional. Evaluation: Child Behavior Check List and Child Teacher Report Form; Parental Sense of Competence; Alabama Parenting Questionnaire-Preschool Revision. Results: Parents evaluate more frequently than teachers externalized and internalized behaviors. There are no statistically significant differences according to age in maladaptive behaviors, while educators show differences in externalized and internalized behaviors, with boys presenting more maladaptive behaviors. The lower the NSE, the fewer externalized and internalized behaviors perceived by parents and teachers, and the more inconsistent and punishing parental practices, while the higher the NSE, the higher the level of parental satisfaction. There are no differences in satisfaction with the parental role or in the perception of parental self-efficiency.