Emotion Dysregulation and Academic Resilience in Maltreated Children

Maltreated children frequently experience academic difficulties. In the past, this has been attributed to placement instability, length of involvement with the child welfare system, and numerous other factors that disproportionately affect maltreated children. Maltreated children are also prone to emotion regulation (ER) difficulties and patterns of emotion dysregulation. Resilience (i.e., normative functioning despite having experienced maltreatment) among maltreated children is rare, particularly across multiple domains. ER has been found to predict academic performance in non-maltreated samples. In this study, the relationship between emotion dysregulation and academic performance was analyzed in a sample already at risk for academic difficulties (maltreated children). Measures of emotion dysregulation and academic performance were analyzed in a sample of maltreated children (n = 158). Linear regression analysis indicated that the absence of emotion dysregulation was significantly related to academic resilience. Late adolescence, race, and placement stability were also significantly related to academic resilience. Implications for child welfare professionals and educators of maltreated children are discussed.     

Health and School Outcomes During Children's Transition Into Adolescence

PurposeNormative biopsychosocial stressors that occur during entry into adolescence can affect school performance.  As a set of resources for adapting to life's challenges, good health may buffer a child from these potentially harmful stressors. This study examined the associations between health (measured as well-being, functioning, symptoms, and chronic conditions) and school outcomes among children aged 9–13 years in 4th–8th grades.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study of 1,479 children from 34 schools followed from 2006 to 2008. Survey data were obtained from children and their parents, and school records were abstracted. Measures of child self-reported health were dichotomized to indicate presence of a health asset. Outcomes included attendance, grade point average, state achievement test scores, and child-reported school engagement and teacher connectedness.ResultsBoth the transition into middle school and puberty had independent negative influences on school outcomes. Chronic health conditions that affected children's functional status were associated with poorer academic achievement. The number of health assets that a child possessed was positively associated with school outcomes. Low levels of negative stress experiences and high physical comfort had positive effects on teacher connectedness, school engagement, and academic achievement, whereas bullying and bully victimization negatively affected these outcomes. Children with high life satisfaction were more connected with teachers, more engaged in schoolwork, and earned higher grades than those who were less satisfied.ConclusionsAs children enter adolescence, good health may buffer them from the potentially negative effects of school and pubertal transitions on academic success.     

临沂市农村学龄儿童睡眠问题及相关因素研究

【目的】探讨临沂市农村学龄儿童睡眠问题的发生率及相关因素。【方法】对2004名农村学龄儿童进行调查。父母完成有关儿童睡眠问题、家庭及儿童特征的问卷,教师完成包括修订Conner多动指数、是否在课堂上睡觉及学习成绩的问卷。【结果】父母报告的睡眠问题"有时"或"经常"发生者为:说梦话或梦游占14.2%;睡眠过少占14.0%;睡眠过多占12.5%;梦魇占12.0%;睡眠不好占6.1%;夜间遗尿占4.5%。教师报告9.4%的儿童"有时"或"经常"在课堂上睡觉。约11%的儿童"经常"有任何睡眠问题。具有睡眠问题的儿童常报告有多动,亲子关系差,与同学关系差,社会能力及学习成绩差。多变量Logistic回归分析揭示,睡眠问题与父母关系差、家庭住房拥挤、4岁后停止尿床、慢性躯体疾病、报告有多动及与同学关系差等因素显著相关。【结论】临沂市农村学龄儿童睡眠问题的发生与家庭、母孕期及儿童生长发育等多种因素有关。有睡眠问题的儿童常有多动,社会及学业问题。     

Social and emotional outcomes of Australian children from Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Objectives: 1) profile the living environments and 2) examine the social and emotional outcomes of Australian children from Indigenous and cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds at school entry. Method: Secondary analysis of cross‐sectional data collected in Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=4,735). Child mental‐health outcomes were measured using parent report of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: Significant differences in family and neighbourhood characteristics, including parental income, maternal education, maternal parenting quality and neighbourhood safety, were found in children of Indigenous and CALD backgrounds compared to the reference group of Australian‐born, English‐speaking children. After controlling for family and neighbourhood characteristics, significant differences in parent‐reported SDQ total difficulties were found for Indigenous children. Significant differences in emotional difficulties and peer problems subscales were found for children with overseas‐born mothers regardless of English proficiency. Conclusions: Children from Indigenous and CALD backgrounds experience poorer mental health outcomes at school entry than their Australian‐born English‐speaking peers. They are also more likely to be exposed to risk factors for poor child mental‐health outcomes within their family and neighbourhood environments.     

Gradients in the Health Status and Developmental Risks of Young Children: The Combined Influences of Multiple Social Risk Factors

Objectives: To analyze child vulnerability as a profile of multiple risk factors for poorer health based on race/ethnicity, social class (maternal education and family poverty status), child health insurance coverage, and maternal mental health. Profiles are examined in relation to disparities in the health status and developmental risks of young children. Data Sources: Cross-sectional data on 2,068 children ages 4–35 months from the 2000 National Survey of Early Childhood Health. Study Design: Multiple logistic regression models are used to examine risk profiles in relation to child health status and developmental risk (based on parent concerns about development). The profiles are also examined in relation to three measures of basic access to health care: telephone contact with a physician, well-child visit in the past year, and missed or delayed needed care. Principal Findings: About one-third of (or 3.1 million) young children in the United States have two or more risk factors (RF) for poor health. Controlling for other family factors, having more RFs is associated with poorer health status (i.e., percent reported “good/fair/poor” vs. “excellent/very good”) and being higher risk for developmental delays. For example, the likelihood of having either poorer health or higher developmental risk increases with each RF (vs. zero): 1 RF (OR = 1.70, CI: 1.20–2.38), 2 RFs (OR = 3.28, CI: 2.27–4.73), 3 RFs (OR = 4.69, CI: 2.84–7.73), 4 RFs (OR = 14.58, CI: 4.98–42.64). Higher RFs were also associated with poorer health care access. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a dose–response relationship of higher risk profiles with poorer child health status and higher developmental risk. Because children with higher profiles of risk are also more likely to lack access to care, this suggests that children who most need care have the greatest difficulty obtaining it. Addressing health gradients for vulnerable children will require explicit attention to these multiple, overlapping risk factors.     

Parent,Teacher, and Student Perspectives on How Corrective Lenses Improve Child Wellbeing and School Function

Objectives Up to 20 % of school-age children have a vision problem identifiable by screening, over 80 % of which can be corrected with glasses. While vision problems are associated with poor school performance, few studies describe whether and how corrective lenses affect academic achievement and health. Further, there are virtually no studies exploring how children with correctable visual deficits, their parents, and teachers perceive the connection between vision care and school function. Methods We conducted a qualitative evaluation of Vision to Learn (VTL), a school-based program providing free corrective lenses to low-income students in Los Angeles. Nine focus groups with students, parents, and teachers from three schools served by VTL explored the relationships between poor vision, receipt of corrective lenses, and school performance and health. Results Twenty parents, 25 teachers, and 21 students from three elementary schools participated. Participants described how uncorrected visual deficits reduced students’ focus, perseverance, and class participation, affecting academic functioning and psychosocial stress; how receiving corrective lenses improved classroom attention, task persistence, and willingness to practice academic skills; and how serving students in school rather than in clinics increased both access to and use of corrective lenses. Conclusions for Practice Corrective lenses may positively impact families, teachers, and students coping with visual deficits by improving school function and psychosocial wellbeing. Practices that increase ownership and use of glasses, such as serving students in school, may significantly improve both child health and academic performance.     

The Role of Peer Rejection in the Link between Reactive Aggression and Academic Performance

Background

There is substantial evidence to suggest that aggressive behavior is associated with poor academic performance in school-aged children. However, less is known about how different subtypes of aggression are related to academic performance and what variables may account for this association.

Objective

The current study examined unique associations between reactive (aggression in response to provocation) and proactive (goal-oriented calculated aggression) subtypes of aggression and academic performance. Further, the study evaluated whether peer rejection accounted for the link between these aggression subtypes and academic problems.

Methods

Study questions were examined using a sample of 147 school-age children (M = 8.22, SD = 1.99, 54.4 % male) who attended a community-based after school program. Path models were used to estimate the proposed associations using Mplus 6.12 statistical software.

Results

As expected, findings indicated that high levels of reactive, not proactive, aggression were uniquely associated with low levels of academic performance, and peer rejection accounted for this association.

Conclusions

Results advance the literature linking aggression and academic difficulties by indicating that reactive aggression, but not proactive aggression, is associated with academic difficulties. Findings also support previous literature suggesting that peer relationships are an important target of prevention and intervention efforts aimed at improving school performance, particularly for individuals who exhibit reactively aggressive behavior.     

The effect of special health care needs and health status on school functioning

BackgroundPast studies have shown that specific child conditions are associated with poor school outcomes. A national health survey with noncategorical measures of health and indicators of school functioning offers the opportunity to examine this association.ObjectivesTo compare links between two health measures (children with special health care needs and general health status) and multiple school outcomes.MethodsThe analysis was based on 59,440 children aged 6–17 years from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. Child health was assessed using the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) screener and a question on general health status. CSHCN were classified by the complexity of their health care needs. Indicators of school functioning included special education use, many problem reports, repeated a grade, lack of school engagement, and many missed school days.ResultsOverall 22% of children were identified as CSHCN: 13% with more complex needs (C-CSHCN) and 9% with medication use only (CSHCN-RX). Approximately 17% of children were in less than optimal health. After controlling for a child's sociodemographic characteristics C-CSHCN had an increased risk of all of the negative school outcomes compared to children without SHCN, while CSHCN-RX had an increased risk of only one school outcome (many missed school days). Children in less than optimal health were at an increased risk of all negative school outcomes compared to children in optimal health.ConclusionsThe CSHCN screener and health status question identify related, but distinct, groups of children with worse outcomes on the indicators of school functioning.     

Difficult temperament and children’s peer relations: the moderating role of quality of parent–child relationships

ABSTRACT

The current study is an examination of contributions of difficult temperament and qualities of parent–child relationship to Turkish children’s peer relations, with a specific focus on the moderating role of parent–child relationships (closeness and conflict) on difficult temperament when predicting children’s peer relations. Participants were 94 children (56 boys) with the mean age of 7.05 years (SD?=?.88) enrolled in 24 classrooms from five elementary schools in a suburban school district in Turkey. Mothers reported on parent–child relationships and child temperament, and teachers reported on peer relations. Results from the hierarchical regression analyses showed that parent–child conflict was negatively associated with children’s peer relations. Parent–child conflict moderated the association between children’s difficult temperament and their peer relations. Children who experienced low levels of parent conflict and were not temperamentally difficult showed more positive peer relations as rated by their teachers. Limitations and future directions of the current study are discussed.     

Socioeconomic status and health: do gradients differ within childhood and adolescence?

Socioeconomic status (SES) gradients may not be static across the lifespan, but instead may vary in strength across different life stages. This study examined the periods in childhood when SES and health relationships emerge and are strongest among US children. Data came from the National Health Interview Survey, 1994, a cross sectional, nationally representative sample of 33,911 US children ages 0-18. Parents were asked about family SES and child health status. Global health measures included overall ratings of child health, activity and school limitations. Acute conditions included childhood injuries and respiratory illnesses. For all global child health measures, lower family SES was associated with poorer child health in a gradient fashion (P < .001); these differences did not vary across age. For specific conditions, interaction effects of SES with age were found (P < .05). Interaction effects revealed that for injury and acute respiratory illness, expected SES gradients (lower SES with poorer outcomes) were evident during adolescence. In contrast, respiratory illness had a reverse SES gradient in early childhood. In sum, for global child health measures, associations of lower SES with poorer health throughout childhood suggest that factors that do not change with age (e.g., health care quality) may best explain overall health status. However, for acute conditions, the relationship between low SES and poor child health appears most consistently during adolescence. This suggests that normal development-related changes during adolescence, such as increasing peer group affiliation, may help explain these gradients. These patterns are important to understand for optimally timing interventions to reduce SES disparities in US children's health.     

Effects of parental perception of neighbourhood deprivation and family environment characteristics on pro‐social behaviours among 4–12 year old children

Objective: To assess the effect family environment stressors (e.g. poor family functioning and parental psychological distress) and neighbourhood environment on child prosocial behaviour (CPB) and child difficulty behaviour (CDB) among 4‐to‐12 year old children. Methods: Analysis of the 2006 Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Survey (VCHWS) dataset derived from a statewide cross‐sectional telephone survey, with a final total sample of 3,370 children. Results: Only family functioning, parental psychological distress, child gender, and age were associated with CPB, explaining a total of 8% of the variance. Children from healthily functioning families and of parents without any psychological distress exhibited greater prosocial behaviours than those from poorly functioning families and of parents with mental health problems. Neighbourhood environment was not found to contribute to CPB. A total of eight variables were found to predict CDB, explaining a total of 16% of the variance. Poor family and parental psychological functioning as well as poor access to public facilities in the neighbourhood were associated with conduct problems in children. Conclusion: Our results point to the importance of the family environment in providing a context that fosters the development of empathic, caring and responsible children; and in buffering children in exhibiting behaviour difficulties during the formative years of life. Programs aimed at promoting prosocial behaviours in children need to target stressors on the family environment.     

Maltreatment and Behavioral Characteristics of Youth Who Are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

This paper summarizes the available literature on child abuse and neglect among children with disabilities in general and considers children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing within this larger rubric given the low prevalence rates of children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing among the disabled population. This procedure allows for comparisons between disabilities as well as abused and non-abused children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Maltreatment data on children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing in a large epidemiological study of the prevalence of child maltreatment among children with disabilities are summarized. Children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing comprised 6.1% of the disabled population who were identified as victims of maltreatment. Their most prevalent form of maltreatment was neglect, followed by physical abuse and sexual abuse. Although children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing are significantly more likely to be maltreated by immediate family members, placement in a residential school is a risk factor for sexual and physical abuse. Maltreated children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing exhibit significantly more behavior problems including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder related behaviors than nonmaltreated peers.     

School-Based Mentoring as Selective Prevention for Bullied Children: A Preliminary Test

This preliminary study tested the benefits of school-based lunchtime mentoring as a form of selective prevention for bullied children. Participants were 36 elementary school children in grades 4 and 5 who had been identified as bullied (based on child and teacher reports). Children in the Lunch Buddy program (n = 12) were paired with a college student mentor who visited twice each week during the spring semester of an academic year. Also participating were 24 matched-control children; 12 were from the same school as Lunch Buddy children (“Same” controls) and 12 were from a school different from that of Lunch Buddy children (“Different” controls). Results indicated that compared to Different control children, Lunch Buddy children experienced significantly greater reductions in peer reports of peer victimization from fall to spring semesters. Lunch Buddy children and mentors viewed the relationship as positive, and parents and teachers were very satisfied with Lunch Buddy mentoring. We discuss the implications of our findings for both research and practice.     

Determinants of quality of life in children with psychiatric disorders

Objective: To assess factors that, in addition to childhood psychopathology, are associated with Quality of Life (QoL) in children with psychiatric problems. Methods: In a referred sample of 252 8 to 18-year-olds, information concerning QoL, psychopathology and a broad range of child, parent, and family/ social network factors was obtained from children, parents, teachers and clinicians. Results: Poor child, parent, and clinician reported QoL was associated with child psychopathology, but given the presence of psychopathology, also with child factors, such as low self-esteem, and poor social skills, and family/social network factors, such as poor family functioning, and poor social support. In multiple linear regression analyses the importance of parent factors, such as parenting stress, was almost negligible. Conclusion: To increase QoL of children with psychiatric problems, treatment of symptoms is important, but outcome might improve if treatment is also focussed on other factors that may affect QoL. Results are discussed in relation to current treatment programs.     

Ownership of alcohol-branded merchandise and initiation of teen drinking

BACKGROUND: The alcohol industry spends over $5 billion a year on marketing, much of which is accessible to children. The distribution of branded articles of clothing and other personal items is one aspect of alcohol marketing that has not been adequately studied. In this study, the prevalence of ownership of alcohol-branded merchandise (ABM) was determined in a sample of rural northern New England adolescents, and the relationship between ownership of such items and initiation of alcohol use was examined. DESIGN/METHODS: Northern New England middle school students who had not yet initiated alcohol use were captured at baseline in a 1999 school-based survey, and ownership of an ABM item and initiation of alcohol use were determined 1 to 2 years later by telephone. The analysis controlled for demographics (gender, grade in school); characteristics of the child (school performance, sensation seeking, rebelliousness); parenting style; and peer alcohol use. RESULTS: Of 2406 baseline never-drinkers, 15% had initiated alcohol use and 14% owned an ABM item by follow-up. ABM items consisted primarily of articles of clothing such as t-shirts and hats. ABM ownership was associated with higher grade in school, male gender, exposure to peer drinking, having tried smoking, poorer academic performance, higher levels of sensation seeking and rebelliousness, and less-responsive and restrictive parenting styles. Owners of ABM items at follow-up had higher rates of alcohol initiation compared with non-owners (25.5% vs 13.1%, respectively, p<0.001). After adjusting for the above confounders, students who owned an ABM item were significantly more likely to have initiated alcohol use compared with students who did not own one (adjusted odds ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.0). CONCLUSIONS: In this northern New England adolescent sample, ownership of alcohol-branded merchandise was prevalent and exhibited an independent cross-sectional association with onset of adolescent drinking. Further studies are necessary to determine whether the relationship is causal, and whether teen use of ABM items influences peer drinking norms and behavior.     

Exploring the link between impulsivity and peer relations in 5- and 6-year-old children

Background In recent years there has been an increased interest in the behavioural correlates of poor peer relations in childhood. It is now apparent that early poor peer relations are associated with negative future outcomes. The present study investigated whether behaviours that reflect impulsivity or require response inhibition are uniquely linked to children's peer relations. Methods Five‐ and 6‐year‐old children's impulsivity was assessed using the teacher‐rated impulsivity scale (TRIS), while the stop signal task and a modified version of Manly et al.'s opposite worlds task were employed as measures of response inhibition. In addition, peer relations measures were obtained for each child by asking their peers to indicate on a peer rating scale how much they would like to play with them. Results It was found that children's scores on the TRIS correlated significantly with peer relations measures (sociometric preference, peer acceptance and peer rejection) after controlling for gender, age and intelligence. Children rated by their teachers to be more impulsive had poorer peer relations. While there was a significant correlation between TRIS and stop‐signal task performance, little relationship was found between either of the response inhibition measures and children's peer relations. Conclusions The findings indicate that impulsivity is associated with children's poor relations with their peers and that this association is dependent upon the measure of impulsivity used. Whereas the more subjective teacher‐ratings of impulsiveness did correlate with peer relations, the more objective behavioural measures of response inhibition, (thought to directly measure impulsivity), did not. The difference between these measures needs further investigation. While the data are correlational and causal direction can only be speculated, a practical implication of the finding of an association between impulsivity and peer acceptance is that adoption of strategies to minimize impulsive behaviour may improve the poor peer relations of children.     

The relationship between motor performance and peer relations in 9- to 12-year-old children

Background Poor motor skills have been associated with peer relationship difficulties, with lower peer preference and greater likelihood of suffering from withdrawal and low self‐worth. Most research into these relationships has focused upon children with motor problems and on activities involving physical skills (play/sport). The current study examined the link between motor performance and peer relations in 9‐ to 12‐year‐old children in both physical and non‐physical (schoolwork) settings using a community sample. Methods Participants were 192 school children whose motor performance was tested using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Peer acceptance was assessed using the Peer Rating Scale and teachers completed the Peer Exclusion subscale of the Child Behaviour Scale to indicate each child's peer status. Children were also asked to indicate their level of physical activity and their perceived freedom in leisure using self‐report questionnaires. Results Children with poor motor performance had lower levels of physical activity, and freedom in leisure and were less preferred by their peers in both play and classroom settings. These effects were stronger for boys than for girls. Teacher indicated that children with poorer motor skills experienced higher levels of peer rejection in the classroom setting. When motor performance was separated into fine‐ and gross‐motor performance it was found that only the latter was significantly correlated with peer acceptance in the play context but that fine‐motor skills contributed significantly to variance in teacher ratings of peer exclusion in the classroom setting. Conclusions The results support and extend earlier findings that children with poor motor performance are less accepted by their peers in play settings and provide some support for this extending to settings involving low levels of physical activity (classroom settings). The results similarly support previous findings that motor performance is associated with perceived freedom in leisure and with the likelihood of participating in active pursuits.     

Education among Zambian children: linking head of household characteristics to school attendance

This study examined the impact of head of household characteristics on school attendance among Zambian children. The study used nationally representative cross-sectional survey data with a sample of 24,165 school-aged children between the ages of 6 and 14. Findings showed that approximately 23% of the children were not in school, 14% were orphans, and 42% of children in the sample were from poor households. Heads of household in the sample showed low levels of education attainment; about 45% had a primary level education. Male heads of household had significantly higher levels of education compared to females (p < .001). Logistic regression model results showed that children living with a female head of household were more likely to attend school compared to those living with a male head of household (OR = 1.339, p < .001). In addition, findings showed greater likelihood for children’s school attendance the more educated the head of household was (p < .001). Increase in the age of the head of household, and the further removed the child was in biological relatedness to the head of household were associated with lesser odds of school attendance. Children that were older, female, non-orphan and from wealthier households had greater odds of school attendance. Findings highlight important head of household socioeconomic factors that policy and research should take into consideration when looking at children’s school attendance in Zambia.     

The health of children in sole‐parent families in New Zealand: results of a population‐based cross‐sectional survey

Objective: To investigate whether children in sole‐parent families in New Zealand bear excess risks of poor mental and physical health relative to children in two parent families. Data sources and statistical methods: The data source was the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey, a nationally representative household survey that sampled 502 children (5‐14 years) of sole mothers and 1,281 children of partnered mothers. Results: Children of sole mothers were 1.26 (0.94 – 2.69) times as likely as children of partnered mothers to return a low PhS score. Adjusting for maternal health and family socio‐economic disadvantage eliminated this weak association (which in any case was of borderline statistical significance). Children of sole mothers were more than twice as likely as children of partnered mothers to return a low PsS score, adjusting for demographic variables only. Conclusions: There is only a weak negative association (if any) between sole‐parenting and child physical health, but a stronger association with child mental health – consistent with most of the New Zealand and international literature. The association with child mental health is largely (but possibly not completely) ‘explained’ by the poorer mental health of sole‐parents and the poorer socio‐economic circumstances of single‐parent families (on average). Implications: These findings support policies aiming to improve access of sole‐parents and their children to community mental health services, and (more especially) policies aiming to ameliorate the disadvantaged economic circumstances of single parent families.     

The social and economic consequences of childhood asthma across the lifecourse: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Asthma prevalence rates are high, and may be increasing in the Western world, particularly among children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the longer-term social and economic consequences of having asthma as a child and to determine whether adverse consequences are more severe for poorer children. METHODS: Results from published and unpublished, quantitative and qualitative studies were synthesized narratively to examine the impact of childhood-onset asthma on school attendance, academic achievement and employment in adulthood. The question of whether the impact differed for different social groups was also examined. FINDINGS: Twenty-nine good quality studies were identified, including in total 12 183 children with asthma or wheeze. Compared with asymptomatic children, those with asthma missed more days of school (additional absence as a result of asthma ranged from 2.1 to 14.8 days). Studies of academic achievement found that children with asthma performed as well as their healthy peers. The existing evidence on labour market performance is sparse, but there is an indication that people with asthma during childhood experience disadvantage in later employment. In an examination of consequences by social position, children with asthma from deprived areas were more likely to miss school than their more affluent peers, and minority ethnic children were also more likely to have poor school attendance. The only qualitative study suggested that children with asthma strove to participate fully in every aspect of their daily lives. INTERPRETATION: Although asthma limits children's daily activities and affects their social activities, this research synthesis found little evidence of major, adverse long-term social and economic consequences in studies reviewed. Further longitudinal research using comparison groups is needed to fill key gaps in the existing evidence base.