Poster #36 - Examining how Child-Adult Relationships are Associated With Students’ Social Skills and Behavior Problems Within and Across Home and School

• In Event: Poster Session 06

Abstract

As developmental assets, mother-child relationships and teacher-student relationships are highlighted in the literature. These relationships and their impact on child development have been studied separately in either the home or school context. However, children do not cultivate social-emotional competencies and behaviors in one specific environment. Given that children develop as a result of multiple contexts as well as interactions among those contexts (Bronfenbrenner, 1974), it is crucial to simultaneously investigate children’s relationships with adults and behaviors across contexts to acquire a comprehensive understanding of their development. Thus, this cross-sectional study aimed to (a) compare child-adult relationships, social skills, and behavior problems at home and school, and (b) investigate how child-adult relationships at home and school are linked to social skills and behavior problems across two contexts. Using data from Phase III of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the quality of the adult-child relationship as well as children’s social and behavioral skills were examined. Mothers reported Child-Parent Relationship Scale, Social Skills Ratings System (SSRS), and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Teachers reported Student-Teacher Relationships Scale and teacher-version of the SSRS and CBCL. Structural equation model was used to examine the associations between primary variables.

There were several notable findings. First, results indicated that teachers had fewer conflicts but also less closeness with students than mothers. On average, teachers rated students' cooperation and self-control higher and rated assertion lower than mothers. For behavior problems, teachers reported higher internalizing and externalizing behaviors than mothers except for somatic complaints. There were weak or moderate inter-rater correlations between mother-reported and teacher-reported social skills and behavior problems (ranging from .13 to .30, see Table 1). Second, the pattern of associations between the mother-child relationship and mother-reported student outcomes was similar to the pattern of associations between the teacher-student relationship and teacher-reported student outcomes. For social skills, both mother-child and teacher-student relationships predicted self-control best followed by cooperation and assertion, and, for problem behavior, predicted externalizing behavior better than internalizing behavior (see Figure 1). Third, the teacher-student relationship was a stronger predictor of cross-context behaviors than the mother-child relationship. Positive teacher-student relationships predicted better social skills and fewer behavior problems both at home and in school (see Figure 1). However, positive mother-child relationships predicted better social skills and fewer behavior problems at home, but not in school. These findings provide important evidence supporting within- and cross-context associations between child-adult relationships, social skills, and behavior problems. Similar predictive patterns between child-adult relationships and student behaviors found within home and school contexts imply that mothers and teachers value common behaviors when building relationships with children. Divergent cross-context associations between child-adult relationships and behavioral outcomes will also be discussed in relation to differences between mothers and teachers as raters and contextual characteristics of home and school.

Authors

• Taehee Kim, University of Georgia
  Presenting Author

• Kristen L Bub, University of Georgia