Understanding gender differences in childhood injuries: Examining longitudinal relations between parental reactions and boys' versus girls' injury-risk behaviors.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine gender differences in children's hazard-directed behaviors when the parent was absent and determine whether parent reactions when present differentially influences boys' and girls' subsequent behaviors.

METHOD

Children and parents were video recorded in their home when a contrived burn hazard ('Gadget') was within view and reach of the child and the parent was sometimes present and absent. Videos were coded for teaching- and discipline-focused reactions by parents when children approached the Gadget in the parent's presence and children's hazard-directed behaviors when the parent was absent. Data were gathered monthly for a period of up to 6 months.

RESULTS

Multilevel regression analyses examining temporal relationships between parents' reactions (teaching, discipline) and children's hazard-directed behaviors when the parent was absent revealed significant gender differences. For boys, reductions in hazard-directed behaviors over time were predicted from high teaching or low discipline reactions, with low teaching and high discipline reactions maintaining injury-risk behaviors over time. For girls, reductions in hazard-directed behaviors over time were predicted from low teaching or high discipline reactions, with high teaching and low discipline reactions maintaining injury-risk behaviors over time.

CONCLUSION

To moderate young boys' injury-risk behaviors, caregivers should avoid frequent discipline-focused reactions in favor of frequent teaching when the child engages in injury-risk behaviors. For girls, however, frequent discipline-focused reactions reduced injury-risk behaviors over time more effectively than frequent teaching-focused reactions that sustained girls' interest in the hazard. Implications for injury prevention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record