[Discrepancy between parents and teachers in the evaluation of behavior and educational problems in children and adolescents].
BACKGROUND
The process of psychological evaluation in children ought to include detailed information as to the behavior and ability of children in different environments (home, school, recreation). The differences in the information from each source may be interpreted as reflecting the differences in behavior caused by the different context or interactions between the child and those reporting on him.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the relation between evaluation of the parents of their children s behavior and the evaluation of these same children by their teachers.


METHODS
We studied a group of 855 children distributed as follows: 325 in the group of 9 to 11 years (146 girls, 179 boys); 243 in the group 12 to 14 years (126 girls, 117 boys) and 287 in the group 15 to 17 years (145 girls, 142 boys). The parents and teachers of these children responded to the long version of the Conners Scale, revised for parents and teachers respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no uniformity in the evaluation of the academic and behavior problems of the children. The evaluations depended on the age of the child and the aspect described (hyperactivity, academic problems, anxiety). There was closer agreement between parents and teachers for academic and hyperactivity problems. This relation was firmer in the adolescent group.
Montiel Nava
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Departamento de Neurología Pediátrica; Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08036, España. cmontiel@iamnet.com
Peña
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JA
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010290:Parents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching