Edna Maria Marturano

Ambiente familiar e os problemas do comportamento apresentados por crianças com baixo desempenho escolar

Externalizing behaviors frequently develop in adverse environments. The aim of this study was to document this association in children presenting academic underachievement. Participants were both boys and girls, aged seven to 11 years, referred for psychological treatment by virtue of school underachievement. From a universe of 141 children, two groups were constituted on the basis of scores in the Child Behavior Scale: G1 (children without behavior problems, n= 30) and G2 (children with behavior problems, n= 37). Mothers were interviewed to obtain data about environment resources and adversities. Results indicated that children from G2 live at homes with fewer resources and more adversities, presentig problems in interpersonal relationships, poor parent supervision, monitoring and supporting, lower parent involvement with child development, punitive practices and aggressive adult models. The school difficulties raise the childis vulnerability to maladjustment. The inclusion of the family in preventive interventions directed to these children is emphazised.

Práticas educativas e problemas de comportamento: uma análise à luz das habilidades sociais

Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar as relacoes entre praticas educativas dos pais e problemas de comportamento dos filhos, a luz do referencial teorico-pratico do treinamento em habilidades sociais. A forma como os pais educam seus filhos parece ser crucial a promocao de comportamentos socialmente adequados, porem, com frequencia, as familias acabam estimulando comportamentos inadequados por meio de disciplina inconsistente, pouca interacao positiva, pouco monitoramento e supervisao insuficiente das atividades da crianca. Considera-se que os pais, para promoverem comportamentos adequados em seus filhos, necessitam ter habilidades sociais educativas, tais como expressar sentimentos e opinioes, estabelecer limites evitando coercao, entre outras. Conclui-se que, intervencoes com pais, com a finalidade de promover habilidades sociais educativas, sao importantes meios para prevencao e reducao de problemas de comportamento em criancas, de forma a evitar dificuldades escolares e de socializacao na meninice e na adolescencia.

Suporte parental: um estudo sobre crianças com queixas escolares

The objective of this article was to investigate the parental support received by children directed for psychological attendance due to poor academic achievement, in comparison with children not sent to psychological attendance. Participants consisted of 60 children from 7 to 11 years of age and their mothers, selected at a psychology clinic and at school, both public ones. The support was evaluated in three domains: academic, developmental and emotional. The child was evaluated regarding his/her intelligence level, performance at school and the presence of behavior problems. In agreement with previous studies, the studied group showed lower academic and cognitive development and greater incidence academic of problems regarding behavior. The academic support did not differ among the groups. Mothers of referred children showed less developmental and emotional support, with problems in the educational practices and conflicting relationship parent-child. The results point out the need of mental health care for vulnerable children that live in an environment with little support.The objective of this article was to investigate the parental support received by children directed for psychological attendance due to poor academic achievement, in comparison with children not sent to psychological attendance. Participants consisted of 60 children from 7 to 11 years of age and their mothers, selected at a psychology clinic and at school, both public ones. The support was evaluated in three domains: academic, developmental and emotional. The child was evaluated regarding his/her intelligence level, performance at school and the presence of behavior problems. In agreement with previous studies, the studied group showed lower academic and cognitive development and greater incidence academic of problems regarding behavior. The academic support did not differ among the groups. Mothers of referred children showed less developmental and emotional support, with problems in the educational practices and conflicting relationship parent-child. The results point out the need of mental health care for vulnerable children that live in an environment with little support.

Family context and child mental health problems in the Family Health Program

OBJECTIVE To assess the association between variables in the family context and the risk for emotional/behavioral problems in children enrolled in a Family Health Program. METHODS A cross-sectional design study was conducted with 100 children aged 6 to 12 years old and their families, especially their biological mothers (82%). All subjects were enrolled in center of the Family Health Program in the city of Ribeirão Preto, Southern Brazil, in 2001. Emotional/behavioral problems of the child, in levels considered as at risk for the development of disorders, were identified by means of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Regarding conditions in the family context, the following variables were evaluated: socioeconomic level, adverse events, maternal stress, maternal depressive symptoms, organization, and structure of family environment. Data analysis was performed through univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Maternal stress was associated with general mental health problems in the child (OR=2.2), while a daily routine with an organized timetable and greater range of activities to fill up their free time were associated with the absence of these problems (1/OR 1.3 and 1.9, respectively). Maternal stress was also a risk factor for anxiety/depression symptoms (OR=1.6). Regarding hyperactivity, financial instability was a risk factor (OR=2.1), and all indicators of environmental stability were protective variables (1/OR between 1.2 and 1.6). CONCLUSIONS Information about family context indicators associated with mental health problems in schoolchildren may subsidize actions of the Family Health Program teams for the child and his/her family. The results indicate a possible employment of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire by the teams, in order to identify early problems in child mental health.

Recursos no ambiente familiar e dificuldades de aprendizagem na escola

Recursos do ambiente familiar, que favorecem o desempenho escolar, incluem materiais educacionais e envolvimento parental. Realizou-se um estudo com o objetivo de investigar esses recursos em uma amostra clinica de 100 criancas, encaminhadas por dificuldades na aprendizagem escolar. Os dados foram coletados durante entrevista com a mae, por meio de um roteiro para sondagem de recursos e circunstâncias adversas. A crianca era solicitado um texto a partir de um desenho. A analise estatistica incluiu analise de regressao, correlacao e comparacao entre medias de subgrupos constituidos segundo idade, atraso escolar e desempenho na escrita. Os resultados indicaram que o nivel de elaboracao da escrita esta positivamente associado a disponibilidade de livros e brinquedos, enquanto o atraso escolar esta negativamente associado a organizacao das rotinas e a diversidade de atividades compartilhadas com os pais. Circunstâncias adversas tem associacao positiva com atraso. Os resultados sao discutidos quanto a sua aplicabilidade em programasse orientacao psicopedagogica as familias.

O inventário de recursos do ambiente familiar

The aim of this article is to describe the development of the HERS - Home Environment Resources Scale. The HERS is based on an ecological view of development. It assesses support resources available to the child at home, which can contribute for school achievement. These resources relate to three domains: resources that promote proximal processes; activities that signal stability in family processes; parental practices that promote a home-school linkage. Previous research using the HERS has indicated acceptable indexes of internal consistency, as well as significant associations between HERS scores and measures of academic achievement and adjustment. Leisure activities, toys, books, and opportunities for the child to interact with parents at home were all related to child achievement and adjustment. Although further studies are needed to secure its reliability and validity, the instrument has proven to be a useful tool for researchers, being used by professionals who work in clinical and educational contexts.

Habilidades sociais e problemas de comportamento de pré-escolares: comparando avaliações de mães e de professoras

This work compared assessments carried out by mothers and teachers about the social skills and behavior problems of children identified by their teachers as having behavior problems. Participants were mothers and teachers of 24 preschool children presenting behavior problems, and 24 preschool children with high levels of social skills. The instruments used were the Socially Desired Behavior Questionnaire and the Rutter Child Behavior Scale: versions for parents and teachers. The main results were: (a) mothers and teachers of children without behavior problems scored similar social skills, but different behavior problems, in which mothers perceived more behavior problems than teachers; (b) mothers and teachers of children presenting behavior problems scored both social skills and behavior problems differently, in which mothers perceived higher levels of social skills and less behavior problems; (c) gender differences were found only for behavior problems of the children presenting behavior problems. Results point to the need to have different informants, in different settings, in the assessment of child behavior.

Autoconceito de crianças com dificuldades de aprendizagem e problemas de comportamento

The aim of this study was to assess the self-concept of children with learning disability in comparison with children without learning disability. Fifty- eight school-age children were assessed, including: 32 Learning Disabled children, distinguished by behavior problems, and 26 No Learning Disabled children. The child self-concept was assessed by Piers Harris Self-Concept Scale and the child behavior was assessed by Rutter´s Child Behavior Scale-A2. Children with learning disability showed significantly more negative self-concept than children without it in both total and partial scale scores. No differences was found between learning disabled children distinguished by the presence of behavior problems.

A auto-eficácia e os aspectos comportamentais de crianças com dificuldade de aprendizagem

The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship among school performance, sense of self-efficacy, and behavioral aspects in 52 children of both sexes, aged from eight to 11 years and 11 months. The children were enrolled in the first to fourth grade and their intelligence level was assessed as of lower medium level at least. Subjects were divided in two groups: G1-26 children with learning difficulties referred to a Psychology Ambulatory of a School Hospital, and G2-26 children with good achievement, assessed by an academic performance test. The instruments used were: Self-Efficacy Assessment Form and Rutter Child Behavior Scale, as well as a school achievement test. G1 showed a significantly lower score for self-efficacy sense, compared to G2. A significant difference was also observed in the assessment made by parents, who characterized G1 children as having more behavioral difficulties. Academic performance was found to be related to self-efficacy sense and to indicators of behavioral problems.

Gênero, adversidade e problemas socioemocionais associados à queixa escolar

Abstract The studies about children with school distress have pointed out boys and behavior problems high frequency, which can be asso ciated toa weak prognostic, if they had been made up in an adverse environment. This study purpose was the investigation of gender adversityoccurrence and gender association to behavior problems. Forty-six boys and 29 girls aged from 7 to 12 have participated in th is investigation.All of them had been referred to a Psychology training clinic as they had presented school distress or bad performance. Behavi oral problemswere investigated by Achenbach’s Inventario de Comportamentos da Infância e Adolescencia, and a life event scale was used to a ssess lifeadversities. According to the statistical analysis, girls present more internalizing problems, , higher adversity exposure, and more frequentgender-related correlation patterns between environmental and behavioral problems. Results can contribute to design support p racticesfor these children, whose needs go beyond the school environment.Key words : environmental adversity; psychological assistance; child; students; gender; sociemotional problems.