Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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Item BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN IN L.A: EXTENDED FAMILY, NEIGHBORHOOD, AND NATIVITY(2017) Kang, Jeehye; Cohen, Philip N.; Sociology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation consists of three papers that examine the association between family living arrangements and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems in children. With increasing immigration and growing heterogeneity in family forms, extended family members are of increasing importance in children’s lives. However, knowledge about extended family living arrangements is lacking. The first paper examines the association between the presence of co-resident extended kin and children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Children in the sample were found to be disadvantaged in extended households, especially with regard to internalizing behaviors. This association was found mostly among married-parent extended households. Further, this pattern emerged more clearly among children of documented immigrants, compared to those with native-born parents and those whose parents were undocumented immigrants. These findings suggest a need to revisit previous theories on extended family living arrangements. The second paper examines what kinds of household extension are associated with child behavioral problems. I specify the types of household extension by their relation to the householder—vertical, horizontal, and non-kin. Results from the cross-sectional sample indicate that horizontal extension is associated with higher internalizing behavior problems in children. However, the results from fixed effects models suggest that this pattern may be due to selection effects. Fixed effects estimations show that children moving into vertically extended household increase externalizing behaviors or that children moving out of a vertically extended household decrease externalizing behaviors. I discuss what implications this type of transition represents. The third paper examines the interaction between extended family household structure and neighborhood characteristics on children’s behavioral functioning. Findings suggest that the co-residence with extended kin is associated with both higher internalizing and externalizing behaviors for children. Although the health disadvantage of living with extended kin seems to be independent of the neighborhood income and racial minority concentration levels, extended kin moderate the associations with neighborhood structure. The advantage of living in higher-income neighborhood strengthens for extended families, reducing internalizing behavioral problems in children. Minority concentrated neighborhood functions as an advantage for extended families, decreasing externalizing behavioral problems. I conclude with discussion of future research and policy implications.Item THE LONGITUDINAL EFFECTS OF BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE(2012) Vu, Anna Phuong; Strein, William; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Students' behavior and emotional well being are instrumental for their success in the school setting. The present study examined the effects of behavioral problems on the academic performance of students three years later. The behavioral problems consisted of individual externalizing, internalizing, and inattentive behaviors. Next, this study examined the classroom-level of externalizing behaviors and the cross-level interaction between individual-level behavioral problems and classroom-level externalizing behaviors on the academic performance of students. Further, the moderating effects of sex and FARM on the associations between behavioral problems and academic performance were studied. The academic performance of students was measured by teacher reported grades and standardized achievement assessment scores. The participants were fifth grade students (N = 2,677) in 193 classrooms from 45 public schools in the mid-Atlantic region. Results indicated that individual inattentive behaviors and classroom-level of externalizing behaviors negatively and significantly predicted academic performance three years later. Although it was hypothesized that the negative effects of behavioral problems on the academic performance of students would be greater being in classrooms with higher average levels of externalizing behaviors, the opposite was found. The negative effects of behavioral problems on academic performance were greater for students who were in classrooms with lower average levels of externalizing behaviors. Overall, results here confirmed the previous literature supporting the negative effects of inattentive behaviors and classroom-level externalizing behaviors on the students' academic grades and achievement test scores.