Challenging Temperament, Teacher–Child Relationships, and Behavior Problems in Urban Low-Income Children: A Longitudinal Examination

Abstract

Research Findings: Racial/ethnic minority low-income children with temperaments high in negative reactivity are at heightened risk for developing disruptive behavior problems. Teacher–child relationships characterized by high levels of closeness and low levels of conflict may protect against the development of disruptive behaviors in school. The present study examined whether teacher–child closeness and conflict moderated the association between temperamental negative reactivity and growth in disruptive behaviors in low-income Black and Hispanic kindergarten and 1st-grade children. Findings revealed that negative reactivity predicted higher overall levels of in-school disruptive behavior problems at the beginning of kindergarten as well as growth in behavior problems over kindergarten and 1st grade. However, the effect of negative reactivity on disruptive behaviors was attenuated when children had relationships with teachers characterized by high levels of closeness and low levels of conflict. Practice or Policy: Implications for further research and practice are discussed.

Notes

Note. Child and Parent N = 192; teacher N = 60.

¹Because the school district records only provide information on the census question regarding race/ethnicity, which identifies Hispanic as an ethnicity rather than a race, the race statistic in the study sample for Hispanic is not directly comparable to the race statistic for Hispanic from the school data.

Note. N = 192. Paired-samples t tests indicated that behavior problems, teacher–child closeness, and teacher–child conflict were significantly different from each other at Times 1 and 5.

Note. Student N = 192; teacher N = 60.

†p < .10. *p < .05. **p < .01.