Peer relationships and prosocial behaviour differences across disruptive behaviours (original) (raw)

Prosocial skills may be necessary for better peer functioning in children with symptoms of disruptive behavior disorders

Children with disruptive behavior disorders experience substantial social challenges; however, the factors that account for (i.e., mediate), or influence (i.e., moderate), peer problems are not well understood. This study tested whether symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder were associated with peer impairment and whether prosocial skills mediated or moderated these associations. Teacher ratings were gathered for 149 children (Mage = 9.09, SD = 1.71, 26% female) referred for behavioral concerns to an urban child psychiatry clinic. Path-analytic linear regressions testing mediation and moderation effects showed that prosocial skills significantly moderated the negative effects of symptoms of Conduct Disorder on peer impairment. Children showed less peer impairment only when they had relatively few conduct symptoms and high prosocial skills. Measurement of prosocial skills, in addition to conduct problems, may best capture factors which contribute to peer problems of children with disruptive behaviors.

The Link between Peer Relations, Prosocial Behavior, and ODD/ADHD Symptoms in 7-9-Year-Old Children

Psychiatry journal, 2013

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are characterized by symptoms that hinder successful positive interaction with peers. The main goal of this study was to examine if the presence of symptoms of ODD and ADHD affects the relationship between positive social behavior and peer status found in 7-9-year-old children who show symptoms typical of ADHD and/or ODD. Furthermore, the possible interaction with sex was investigated. We used data collected in the first wave of The Bergen Child Study of mental health (BCS), a prospective longitudinal total population study of children's developmental and mental health. The target population consisted of children in the second to the fourth, in all public, private, and special schools in Bergen, Norway, in the fall of 2002 (N = 9430). All 79 primary schools in Bergen participated in the study. Both teacher (8809 complete cases) and parent (6253 complete cases) report were used in the analyses...

Relations between hyperactive and aggressive behavior and peer relations at three elementary grade levels

1989

Sociometrics and a revised Pupil Evaluation Inventory (PEI) were administered to 362 boys in Grades 3-6 to define peer-rated narrow-band dimensions of undercontrolled behavior associated with peer rejection. Three dimensions resulted from factor analysis: aggression, hyperactivity, and inattention-immaturity. All 3 dimensions were associated with peer rejection; but only inattention-immaturity was negatively associated with positive socionietric status. Two distinct clusters of boys with undercontrolled behavior problems were found: a hyperactive and inattentive-immature group and a hyperactive and aggressive group. Results indicate that a more precise and powerful model of peer rejection in boys is obtained through the use of narrow-band dimensions of undercontrolled behavior than through broad-band aggression-disruption scales from existing peer-rating measures.

Understanding the relations among gender, disinhibition, and disruptive behavior in adolescents

Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2002

This study examined whether disinhibition shows similar relations with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD) symptomatology among male and female adolescents. The mixed-incentive or punishment condition of Newman's go/no-go task was administered to 172 adolescents. As expected, ADHD symptoms in boys and girls were predictive of disinhibition (i.e., commission errors) in the mixed-incentive but not punishment condition. Also consistent with expectations, CD symptoms in boys were predictive of disinhibition in the mixed-incentive but not punishment condition. In contrast, CD symptoms in girls were not predictive of disinhibition in either condition. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for understanding sex differences in the etiology of ADHD and CD.

Childhood conduct problems and young adult outcomes among women with childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Journal of abnormal psychology, 2016

We tested whether conduct problems predicted young adult functioning and psychiatric symptoms among women diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during childhood, in the context of 3 potential adolescent mediators: internalizing problems, peer rejection, and school failure and disciplinary problems. We controlled for childhood ADHD severity, IQ, and demographic factors, and in the mediational tests, for adolescent conduct problems. Data came from 140 participants in the Berkeley Girls With ADHD Longitudinal Study. We used bootstrapping methods to assess indirect effects (mediators). Both childhood, F(1, 118) change = 9.00, p = .003, R2 change = .069, and adolescent, F(1, 109) change = 10.41, p = .002, R2 change = .083, conduct problems were associated with worse overall functioning during young adulthood, controlling for initial ADHD severity, child IQ, and demographics. Results were similar when predicting psychiatric symptoms. Adolescent school failure and ...

Differential associations of early callous-unemotional, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors: multiple domains within early-starting conduct problems?

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2014

Background: Early-starting child conduct problems (CP) are linked to the development of persistent antisocial behavior. Researchers have theorized multiple pathways to CP and that CP comprise separable domains, marked by callous-unemotional (CU) behavior, oppositional behavior, or ADHD symptoms. However, a lack of empirical evidence exists from studies that have examined whether there are unique correlates of these domains. Methods: We examined differential correlates of CU, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors during the preschool years to test their potentially distinct nomological networks. Multimethod data, including parent and teacher reports and observations of child behavior, were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal study of children assessed at age 3 and age 6 (N = 240; 48% female). Results: Dimensions of CU, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors were separable within Confirmatory Factor Analyses across mother and father reports. There were differential associations between CU, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors and socioemotional, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes: CU behavior was uniquely related to lower moral regulation, guilt, and empathy. ADHD was uniquely related to lower attentional focusing and observed effortful control. Finally, CU behavior uniquely predicted increases in teacher-reported externalizing from ages 3-6 over and above covariates, and ADHD and oppositional behavior. Conclusions: Consistent with theory, dimensions of CU, ADHD, and oppositional behavior demonstrated separable nomological networks representing separable facets within early-starting CP.

Overt and Relational Aggression in Girls With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2004

We employed a multi-informant approach to examine attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtype differences, as well as ADHD versus comparison group differences, in overt aggression, relational aggression, and peer regard related to such aggression. Participants included 228 girls (ages 6 to 12 years) diagnosed with either ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C; n = 93), ADHD-Inattentive (ADHD-I; n = 47), or nondiagnosed comparisons (n = 88) who attended research-based summer camp programs. Girls with ADHD-C exhibited higher rates of overt and relational aggression than did girls with ADHD-I, who in turn exhibited higher rates than comparison girls. For the ADHD-C subgroup, aggressive behavior was associated with both negative peer regard and lack of positive peer regard; for the ADHD-I subgroup, aggressive behavior was related to negative peer regard but not to positive peer regard. Controlling for subtype, relational aggression contributed incremental variance in peer regard over and above overt aggression, but effects for the latter were stronger. We discuss the importance of overt versus relational aggression for girls with ADHD as well as disparities in findings according to informant sources.

The Multifaceted Impact of Peer Relations on Aggressive–Disruptive Behavior in Early Elementary School

2012

Following a large, diverse sample of 4,096 children in 27 schools, this study evaluated the impact of 3 aspects of peer relations, measured concurrently, on subsequent child aggressive-disruptive behavior during early elementary school: peer dislike, reciprocated friends' aggressiveness, and classroom levels of aggressive-disruptive behavior. Teachers rated child aggressive-disruptive behavior in 1st and 3rd grades, and peer relations were assessed during 2nd grade. Results indicated that heightened classroom aggressive-disruptive behavior levels were related to proximal peer relations, including an increased likelihood of having aggressive friends and lower levels of peer dislike of aggressive-disruptive children. Controlling for 1st grade aggressive-disruptive behavior, the three 2nd grade peer experiences each made unique contributions to 3rd grade child aggressive-disruptive behavior. These findings replicate and extend a growing body of research documenting the multifaceted nature of peer influence on aggressivedisruptive behavior in early elementary school. They highlight the importance of the classroom ecology and proximal peer relations in the socialization of aggressive-disruptive behavior.