GENDER DIFFERENCES IN MANIFESTATION OF BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

The behaviour problems in children may manifest as disturbance in emotions like anxiety or depression, aggression, physical function, psychogenic disorders, mental performance problems at school. This range of disorders may be caused by a number of factors such as parenting style, which is inconsistent or contradictory, family or marital problems, child abuse or neglect, overindulgence, injury or chronic illness, separation or bereavement. Achenbach & Edelbrock (1983) classifies child behaviour problems into eleven problems in behaviour of the children on which the present study was formulated to investigate the nature and dimensions of behaviour problems in 812 school going children of urban area, between the age range of 5-12 years with a cross sectional research strategy was applied with extensive survey. The data was obtained in the classroom observations with the help of teachers using the Child behaviour checklist a standardized scale by Achenbach, (1983), and was analyzed qualitatively across both the genders (Female & Male). It was evident that age emerged as the primary factor to produce main effect on incidence of internalization behaviour, withdrawn, anxiety, aggression and conduct disorder across the gender. The trend showed that either the children manifest normal behaviour or severely deficient behaviour irrespective of their age in both the gender. Most of the behaviour problems found to be showing more in female compare to male children. However, there was gradual increase in all most all behaviour problems in middle age and there after behaviour disposition of children in older age in both the gender.