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externalizing behavior problems
Also known as: externalizing problems, externalizing symptoms, externalizing behaviors, externalizing behavior problems, externalizing behavior
Facts (25)
Sources
Introduction to children's attachment - NCBI - NIH ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 5 facts
claimExternalising problems in children are strongly associated with later issues including substance misuse and criminality, according to Allen et al. (1996).
claimChildren who have experienced disrupted placements over a short period of time are likely to become agitated with new surroundings and new carers, often exhibiting aggressive, demanding, and hostile externalised behaviour as a survival strategy to be noticed.
measurementA review of 69 studies by Fearson et al. (2010) found that insecure or disorganised attachment is significantly associated with increased risk for externalising problems, with effect sizes of d = 0.31 for insecure attachment and d = 0.34 for disorganised attachment.
claimDisorganised attachment, and to a lesser extent avoidant and resistant attachment patterns, are associated with externalising problems such as anger and aggression, particularly in boys.
claimA meta-analysis found that avoidant and ambivalent attachment patterns show no increase or only a modest increase in the prevalence of mental health problems, whereas disorganised attachment is associated with significant and greater increases in mental health problems, particularly externalising problems.
Parent–child attachment and adolescent problematic behavior frontiersin.org Feb 26, 2025 4 facts
claimAdolescent problematic behavior includes externalizing problems such as aggression and rule-breaking, as well as internalizing problems such as depression and anxiety.
referenceC. F. Cai and Z. K. Zhou published 'Stability of childhood externalizing problem behaviors' in Advances in Psychological Science in 2006.
referenceRoskam, I., Meunier, J.-C., and Stievenart, M. (2011) published the article 'Parent attachment, childrearing behavior, and child attachment: mediated effects predicting preschoolers' externalizing behavior' in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, volume 32, pages 170–179.
referenceParents’ secure attachment in their family of origin is negatively correlated with children’s externalizing problems, while insecure attachment is positively correlated with both internalizing and externalizing problems, according to research by Roskam et al. (2011) and Kohlhoff et al. (2023).
Neurodiversity in Practice: a Conceptual Model of Autistic Strengths ... link.springer.com Jul 25, 2023 3 facts
claimAffective, behavioral, cognitive, and physiological mechanisms of change explain intervention effects on mental health outcomes, such as internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, resilience, and optimism.
claimAffective, behavioral, cognitive, and physiological mechanisms of change explain intervention effects on mental health outcomes, including internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, resilience, and optimism.
claimOutcomes of psychosocial interventions for autistic individuals are categorized into two domains: mental wellbeing (including hope, self-esteem, and happiness) and psychopathology (including internalizing and externalizing symptoms).
Publications - Parenting Across Cultures parentingacrosscultures.org Apr 25, 2025 3 facts
referenceThe longitudinal, multicultural study 'Effects of parental acceptance-rejection on children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors' investigates the impact of parental acceptance and rejection on child behavioral outcomes.
referenceRothenberg et al. (2022) published a study titled 'Effects of parental acceptance-rejection on children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors' in the Journal of Child and Family Studies, which examines how parental acceptance and rejection influence child behavior.
referenceHong et al. (in press) authored a study titled 'Do child and household regulation moderate the bidirectional relation between harsh parenting and externalizing problems in the transition to adolescence?' published in Development and Psychopathology, which investigates the interaction between parenting styles and child behavior during adolescence.
The Effect of Parenting and the Parent-Child Relationship on ... - OUCI ouci.dntb.gov.ua 2 facts
referenceBradley RH and Corwyn RF published 'Infant temperament, parenting, and externalizing behavior in first grade: a test of the differential susceptibility hypothesis' in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry in 2008.
referenceChang H, Olson SL, Sameroff AJ, and Sexton HR published a study in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology in 2011 investigating child effortful control as a mediator of parenting practices on externalizing behavior across the transition from preschool to school.
Attachment Theory - Seattle Anxiety Specialists seattleanxiety.com 2 facts
measurementA 1999 meta-analysis of 12 studies (n=734) addressing the association of disorganization and externalizing behavior problems found effect sizes ranging from 0.54 to 0.17, with a mean correlation coefficient of 0.29.
referenceLyons-Ruth, Easterbrooks, and Cibelli (1997) identified infant attachment strategies, infant mental lag, and maternal depressive symptoms as predictors of internalizing and externalizing problems in children at age 7.
Parenting styles: An evidence-based, cross-cultural guide parentingscience.com 2 facts
claimChildren from authoritarian families are at a higher risk for externalizing symptoms, such as aggression and defiance.
claimChildren from permissive families are at an elevated risk for externalizing behavior problems and fare worse regarding risky health-related behaviors, including substance use, excessive screen time, and poor sleep.
The Impact of Maternal Childhood Trauma on Children's Problem ... dovepress.com Nov 4, 2024 1 fact
claimNegative parenting styles and emotional responses in mothers increase the risk of children developing internalized and externalized behaviors.
Developmental Psychopathology - DIR Floortime wondirfulplay.com Sep 11, 2024 1 fact
claimNeuroticism is linked to anxiety and depression; extraversion is associated with resilience but can lead to impulsivity; conscientiousness is typically protective against various disorders; agreeableness can correlate with lower levels of externalizing behaviors; and openness to experience may connect with a higher risk for certain psychological issues.
The Effects of Attachment and Trauma on Parenting and Children's ... rsisinternational.org Aug 16, 2025 1 fact
referenceM. and R. Khanam published the longitudinal study 'Adverse childhood experiences and externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors in children and adolescents' in the Journal of Affective Disorders in 2024.
Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption dovepress.com May 19, 2017 1 fact
claimFragmented sleep in children is associated with psychiatric symptoms, social problems, externalizing symptoms, and self-harm behaviors.