title: Behavioral and emotional problems among Chinese and American children: parent and teacher reports for ages 6 to 13.
abstract: This study compared behavioral and emotional problems reported by parents and teachers in Chinese urban and rural samples and demographically similar American samples. Parents of 469 6-to-13-year-old children of each nationality completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Teachers completed the Teacher's Report Form (TRF). Cross-cultural differences were generally modest in magnitude. Chinese children scored higher on TRF Delinquent Behavior and Anxious/Depressed syndromes, and on Internalizing. American children scored higher on CBCL Aggressive Behavior and TRF Attention Problems syndromes. Boys exhibited more externalizing behaviors across both cultures. The mean correlation between parent and teacher ratings was .36 in the Chinese sample and .29 in the American sample, a nonsignificant difference. Findings indicate considerable similarity between problems reported for children in very different societies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington 05401, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Weine
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Achenbach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*