Socialization Mediators of the Relation between Socioeconomic Status and Child Conduct Problems

TLDR

The study examined how socialization processes mediate the link between early socioeconomic status and later child conduct problems. The authors followed a representative cohort of 585 children, including 51 from the lowest socioeconomic class, from preschool through third grade. Lower socioeconomic status predicted higher teacher‑rated externalizing problems and peer‑rated aggression, and this association was largely mediated by eight adverse socialization factors such as harsh discipline and lack of maternal warmth, which together accounted for more than half of the total effect.

Abstract

The goal was to examine processes in socialization that might account for an observed relation between early socioeconomic status and later child behavior problems. A representative sample of 585 children (n = 51 from the lowest socioeconomic class) was followed from preschool to grade 3. Socioeconomic status assessed in preschool significantly predicted teacher-rated externalizing problems and peer-rated aggressive behavior in kindergarten and grades 1, 2, and 3. Socioeconomic status was significantly negatively correlated with 8 factors in the child's socialization and social context, including harsh discipline, lack of maternal warmth, exposure to aggressive adult models, maternal aggressive values, family life stressors, mother's lack of social support, peer group instability, and lack of cognitive stimulation. These factors, in turn, significantly predicted teacher-rated externalizing problems and peer-nominated aggression and accounted for over half of the total effect of socioeconomic status on these outcomes. These findings suggest that part of the effect of socioeconomic status on children's aggressive development may be mediated by status-related socializing experiences.