CHILD BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS IN CULTURAL CONTEXT

了解儿童的心理健康问题，并相应地 临床转诊模式，可能需要了解 文化。文化中介的价值观，以及伴随而来的育儿 练习，可能会影响儿童表现出的行为问题的种类。 文化价值观也可能影响成年人对儿童问题的态度， 某些类型的问题被认为更严重、更需要 一些文化中的专业干预比其他文化中的专业干预更重要。成年人的态度 尤其重要，因为它是成年人(通常是父母、老师、 或临床医生)--而不是儿童本身--进行儿童转介 决定。这项拟议的研究旨在探索文化 两种流行模式和成人态度的差异。大约118人 临床上有意义的问题行为将被全面研究，但 主要焦点将集中在两个经验性派生的问题上， 宽带儿童综合征：内化(例如，令人担忧、躯体化) 和外部化(例如，攻击、不服从)。这项研究将 比较两种在取向上明显不同的文化 将儿童的行为内化和外化。与美国不同 文化，佛教浓厚、高度和平的泰国文化出现了 纵容甚至鼓励不同的内化行为，但 积极劝阻儿童的各种外化行为，尤其是 孩子们。在拟议的研究中，将对泰国和美国的模式进行比较 在两个方面。流行率研究将解决以下问题： 儿童问题(内化、外化和其他)在以下方面有所不同 在两种文化中的流行率，并作为年龄和性别的函数。 泰国6-7岁、8-9岁和10-11岁男孩和女孩的父母和老师将 使用儿童行为检查表对儿童进行评级；这些评级将 将其与美国同龄儿童的家长和教师评级进行比较 性别和年龄。成人态度研究将探索成年人的态度 将行为模式内部化和外部化 文化和儿童性别。在泰国和美国，家长、老师和 从事儿童工作的临床心理学家将对其严重性进行评估 (例如，自发改善的可能性、是否需要治疗) 内化和外化小插曲中呈现的问题模式 描述他们文化中的男孩或女孩。

To understand mental health problems of childhood, and corresponding clinical referral patterns, may require knowledge of the impact of culture. Culturally mediated values, and concomitant child-rearing practices, may influence the kinds of behavior problems children show. Cultural values may also influence adult attitudes toward child problems, with certain types of problems regarded as more serious and more in need of professional intervention in some cultures than in others. Adult attitudes are particularly important because it is adults (usually parents, teachers, or clinicians)--not children themselves--who make child referral decisions. The proposed research is designed to explore cultural differences in both prevalence patterns and adult attitudes. Some 118 clinically significant problem behaviors will be studied in all, but the pricipal focus will be on problems falling within two empirically-derived, broad-band child syndromes: Internalizing (e.g., worrying, somaticizing) and Externalizing (e.g., aggression, disobedience). The research will compare two cultures that appear to differ markedly in their orientation toward Internalizing and Externalizing child behavior. In contrast to U.S. culture, the heavily Buddhist, highly pacific culture of Thailand appears to condone and perhaps encourage diverse Internalizing behaviors, but actively discourage diverse Externalizing behaviors in children, especially boys. In the proposed research, Thai and U.S. patterns are to be compared in two ways. The Prevalence Study will address the question of whether child problems (Internalizing, Externalizing, and other) differ in prevalence across the two cultures and as a function of age and gender. Parents and teachers of Thai boys and girls aged 6-7, 8-9, and 10-11, will rate the children, using the Child Behavior Checklist; these ratings will be compared to parent and teacher ratings for U.S. children of the same gender and age. The Adult Attitudes Study will explore adult attitudes toward Internalizing and Externalizing behavior patterns as a function of culture and child gender. In Thailand and the U.S., parents, teachers, and clinical psychologists who work with children will rate the seriousness (e.g., likelihood of spontaneous improvement, need for treatment) of Internalizing and Externalizing problem patterns as presented in vignettes describing either boys or girls of their culture.