Developmental trajectories of externalizing and internalizing behaviors: Factors underlying resilience in physically abused children

Abstract

Using a multisite community sample of 585 children, this study examined how protective and vulnerability factors alter trajectories of teacher-reported externalizing and internalizing behavior from kindergarten through Grade 8 for children who were and were not physically abused during the first 5 years of life. Early lifetime history of physical abuse (11.8% of sample) was determined through interviews with mothers during the prekindergarten period; mothers and children provided data on vulnerability and protective factors. Regardless of whether the child was abused, being African American; being male; having low early social competence, low early socioeconomic status (SES), and low adolescent SES; and experiencing adolescent harsh discipline, low monitoring, and low parental knowledge were related to higher levels of externalizing problems over time. Having low early social competence, low early SES, low adolescent SES, and low proactive parenting were related to higher levels of internalizing problems over time. Furthermore, resilience effects, defined as significant interaction effects, were found for unilateral parental decision making (lower levels are protective of externalizing outcomes for abused children), early stress (lower levels are protective of internalizing outcomes for abused children), adolescent stress (lower levels are protective of internalizing outcomes for abused children), and hostile attributions (higher levels are protective of internalizing outcomes for abused children). The findings provide a great deal of support for an additive or main effect perspective on vulnerability and protective factors and some support for an interactive perspective. It appears that some protective and vulnerability factors do not have stronger effects for physically abused children, but instead are equally beneficial or harmful to children regardless of their abuse status.Research indicates that individuals who have been physically abused early in life are at greater risk than are their nonabused peers for demonstrating externalizing behaviors such as aggression (Lansford et al., 2002), conduct disorders (Lynch & Cicchetti, 1998), and delinquency (Stouthamer-Loeber, Loeber, Homish, & Wei, 2001). It also demonstrates that physically abused children are at greater risk for displaying internalizing emotional distress including symptoms of depression (Toth, Manly, & Cicchetti, 1992), anxiety (Johnson et al., 2002), and maladaptive peer relationships NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptDespite the developmental risks of physical abuse, several studies suggest that some individuals exposed to early childhood abuse are able to develop with few if any difficulties (Cicchetti & Rogosch, 1997;Cicchetti, Rogosch, Lynch, & Holt, 1993;Egeland & Farber, 1987;Luthar, 1991;Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000;McGloin & Widom, 2001;Moran & Eckenrode, 1992). Why are some children able to develop well despite experiencing negative events in early childhood? What is it about individ...

Developmental Trajectories of Perceived Friendship Intimacy, Constructive Problem Solving, and Depression from Early to Late Adolescence

“…Although depression has been shown to increase from early adolescence until adulthood for girls (e.g., Galambos et al 2003), in the current study, depression slightly increased from age 12 to around age 17, followed by a decrease from age 17 to 20. This is consistent with findings showing that internalizing problem shows a curvilinear shape across adolescence (Keiley et al 2003;Lansford et al 2006). For boys, depression decreased from early to late adolescence, which is consistent with previous findings.…”

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Adolescents

“…Black males reported higher levels of both total aggression and overt aggression than males from other racial/ethnic groups, which is consistent with a large body of literature documenting higher levels of aggressive behavior among Black males relative to White males (e.g., Lansford et al 2006). We also found that Hispanic participants reported engaging in the highest levels of reputational aggression among females, although Hispanic females did not statistically differ from other groups in post hoc analyses.…”

“…Other studies have found that different processes may be involved in the development of aggression among different racial/ethnic groups. For example, one study found that race moderated the relationship between physical discipline and adolescent externalizing problems such that physical discipline at an early age was related to subsequent increases in levels of externalizing behavior for White adolescents but to subsequent decreases for Black adolescents (Lansford et al 2006). Understanding differences in symptoms levels among racial/ethnic groups is important for targeting prevention and intervention efforts, but a better understanding of the processes by which symptoms develop is necessary for earlier targeting of high-risk individuals.…”

Peer Relations at School Entry: Sex Differences in the Outcomes of Foster Care

“…They also found that teachers rated foster children and maltreated children not placed in foster care as having significantly more externalizing problems than the community children (the foster care and maltreated groups did not differ significantly from each other). Other studies have shown greater risk for aggression, conduct disorders, and delinquency for maltreated youth (Lansford et al, 2002;Lynch & Cicchetti, 1998; StouthamerLoeber, Loeber, Homish, & Wei, 2001) and that the negative effects of maltreatment interact with family characteristics such as parental decision making and early stress (Lansford et al, 2006). …”