Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, OR.
J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2019 Feb/Mar;40(2):144-149. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000632.
Children who have experienced maltreatment and subsequent placement in foster care are at increased risk of problem behavior. Increased knowledge of the development of problem behavior in this population, particularly during toddlerhood, can greatly inform preventive intervention efforts. This study examined variability in problem behavior among toddlers entering new foster care placements and identified related child and parenting characteristics.
Ninety-one toddlers in foster care (mean = 2.26 years) and their caregivers completed an initial assessment and were reassessed 6 months later. A child's general cognitive ability was assessed via performance on a standardized developmental measure, and child problem behavior, parenting stress, frequency of family routines, and harsh discipline were assessed via caregiver report.
Upon entering a new foster care placement and 6 months after placement, respectively, 38% and 25% of the toddlers were within the borderline clinical or clinical range in terms of problem behavior when assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist. There was not a significant difference in problem behavior over this 6-month period, suggesting that problem behavior was quite stable among the toddlers as a group. However, general cognitive ability was a significant predictor of individual differences in change in problem behavior, with toddlers with lower general cognitive ability displaying increased problem behavior over this period.
An increased number of toddlers in foster care displayed clinically significant levels of problem behavior, further demonstrating that these children are an extremely high-risk group. The association between general cognitive ability and change in problem behavior highlights the importance of early developmental screenings, which may help identify children at greatest risk of problem behavior and most in need of preventive intervention efforts.
遭受虐待并随后被安置在寄养家庭中的儿童出现行为问题的风险增加。增加对该人群行为问题发展的了解，尤其是在幼儿期，可以极大地为预防干预措施提供信息。本研究考察了进入新寄养安置的幼儿行为问题的变异性，并确定了相关的儿童和养育特征。
91 名寄养中的幼儿（平均年龄=2.26 岁）及其照顾者完成了初始评估，并在 6 个月后进行了重新评估。儿童的一般认知能力通过标准化发育测量的表现进行评估，儿童的行为问题、养育压力、家庭常规频率和严厉纪律通过照顾者报告进行评估。
分别在进入新寄养安置和安置 6 个月后，38%和 25%的幼儿在使用儿童行为检查表评估时，其行为问题处于边缘临床或临床范围。在这 6 个月期间，行为问题没有显著差异，这表明作为一个群体，幼儿的行为问题相当稳定。然而，一般认知能力是行为问题变化个体差异的一个重要预测因素，认知能力较低的幼儿在此期间表现出行为问题增加。
越来越多的寄养儿童表现出临床显著水平的行为问题，进一步证明这些儿童是一个极高风险的群体。一般认知能力与行为问题变化之间的关联强调了早期发展筛查的重要性，这可能有助于识别行为问题风险最大和最需要预防干预措施的儿童。
