Neighbourhood deprivation and the Big Five personality traits: associations with adolescent problem behaviour and educational attainment

We studied the relation between cumulative exposure to neighbourhood deprivation and adolescents’ Big Five personality traits, and the moderating role of personality in the relation between neighbourhood deprivation and the development of problem behaviour and educational attainment. We studied 5365 British adolescents from ages 10 to 16, with neighbourhood information from birth onwards. Extraversion, agreeableness, emotional stability, and openness to experience moderated the relation between deprivation and problem behaviour. For educational attainment, only extraversion was a moderator. This means that higher values on personality traits were related to weaker relations between neighbourhood deprivation and problem behaviour and educational attainment. The results showed the importance of taking into account adolescents’ personality when assessing developmental outcomes in relation to neighbourhood deprivation.

Social-Emotional Development of Children in Asia: A Systematic Review

Background: There has been growing interest in the social-emotional development of children. However, the social-emotional development of children in Asia remains a knowledge gap. This systematic review identifies and summarises existing studies on the social-emotional development of children in Asia. Method: We conducted a systematic review using the Guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). This review included primary social-emotional development studies conducted in Asia and published in English. The study findings were entered into Microsoft Excel, and data were summarized quantitatively and thematically. Results: We reviewed 45 studies that met the inclusion criteria, and they were from 12 Asian countries, mostly the East Asia region (China and Hong Kong). Most of the studies were cross-sectional in design (n = 23, 51.1%). The majority of the studies focused on overall social-emotional development (n = 24, 53.3%), followed by social competence (n = 7, 15.6%), emotional development (n = 5, 11.1%), social-emotional learning (n = 3, 6.7%), problem behaviour (n = 3, 6.7%), self-regulation (n = 2, 4.4%), and 1 study (2.2%) focused on both social-emotional learning and problem behaviour. We did not perform the meta-analysis as the study findings were of heterogeneity.Conclusions: Studies on children’s social-emotional development in Asia are limited and mainly from the East Asia region. More diverse cultural studies on the social-emotional functioning of children in Asia are needed to understand children’s social-emotional development in Asia. Finally, parent and teacher knowledge on children’s social-emotional development should also be examined more closely. Systematic review registration: The protocol for this review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021238826).

Collegiate Principal Structures in Implementing a School Behaviour Support Program: The Role of the Local Management Group Model

Student problem behaviour in schools is an issue for teachers, schools, and education jurisdictions. Problem behaviour also has an effect on families, the individual student, and the community. It is one of the principal issues of discussion for teachers, preservice teachers, principals, and policymakers. The purpose of this study was to examine a model that supports schools in managing available resources to promote positive behaviour and address problem behaviour. Interviews were conducted with 12 primary and high school principals to investigate their experiences of working together in 6 local management groups (LMGs) for the management of student behaviour. The findings revealed that the LMG model supported effective collaborative leadership practices between the high school and primary school principals and encouraged collegial networks among primary and high school teachers through joint professional learning opportunities. The benefits of the LMG model highlighted some positive outcomes for principals, teachers, and students with problem behaviour within their local schools.

A psychometric and validity study of callous-unemotional traits in 2.5 year old children

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with severe and stable antisocial behaviour in childhood and adolescence. In order to understand the earliest origins of CU traits we need first to know whether measurement is reliable and valid in young children. This study evaluated the psychometric properties and validity of a CU traits measure generated from existing child problem behaviour scales at age 2.5 years. The participants were members of an epidemiological longitudinal study starting in pregnancy. Items from the Antisocial Process Screening Device and other problem behaviour scales were subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modelling was used to test whether age 2.5 CU traits showed incremental validity in predicting aggression at age 5. The CU measure showed acceptable psychometric properties, factorial invariance by sex and good stability. Incremental prediction to later aggression was evident in girls, whereas boys showed strong continuity in aggression not found for girls.

The Process and Effects of Group Sandplay on the Intervention of the Children’s Problem Behaviour From the Perspective of Mentalization

In this study, we explored the interaction feature among children, and between children and therapists in a group sandplay based on mentalization theory. Six children with behavioural problems are selected and divided into two groups for 10 sandplay therapy sessions lasting for 50 minutes each time. All sandplay videos are coded for behaviour according to grounded theory, and the frequency changes of each behaviour in the early, middle and late stages of the intervention process are compared. The results show that group sandplay based on mentalization can reduce the intervention of the children during sandplay. Empathetic consultation relationship in sandplay based on mentalization theory can improve children’s problem behaviors.