Predictors of Rebellious Behavior in Childhood: Parental Drug Use, Peers, School Environment, and Child Personality

• NCJ Number: 216248
• Journal: Journal of Addictive Diseases Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: 2006 Pages: 77-87
• Author(s): Judith S. Brook Ed.D.; David W. Brook M.D.; Elinor B. Balka B.A.; Gary Rosenberg Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2006
• Length: 11 pages
• Grant Number(s): DA12374; DA00244
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the predictors of rebellious behavior in middle childhood and examined the interrelation among psychological domains as they relate to childhood rebellious behavior.

Abstract

The results of the study indicate that parental tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use and maternal rebellious behavior are associated with childhood rebellious behavior. It may be that parents’ uncontrolled behavior serves as a model which children imitate. In addition, the findings indicate that these parental attributes maintain their relationship to children’s rebellious behavior when their children’s school environment is controlled. This pattern suggests that parental attributes (substance using and rebellious behavior) predict children’s rebellious behavior beyond the association of school quality with children’s rebellious behavior. Rebellious or oppositional behavior is a stable phenomenon after middle childhood and refers to negativistic, defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior directed toward authority figures or rules. This study extends previous research by examining the predictors (e.g., parental attributes, school environment, ethnic identification, peer affiliation, and childhood personality factors) of rebellious behavior in African-American and Puerto Rican children, examining the developmental pathways leading to rebellious behavior in children by aligning these predictors in a conceptual framework. It is hypothesized that parents who use drugs and display antisocial behavior are likely to have children who experience intrapersonal distress and have difficulty controlling their emotions. In addition, it is hypothesized that parental personality traits (i.e. drug use) will be related to certain childhood personality attributes, such as lower ego integration, which, in turn, will be related to rebellious behavior. The study consisted of the biological children of African-American and Puerto Rican mothers, specifically 75 African-Americans, 85 Puerto Ricans, 5 other Latinas and 1 non-Hispanic. Tables, references