Children's behavior problems and social skills: a longitudinal study

O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o desenvolvimento de crianças indicadas por suas professoras na Educação Infantil (EI) como apresentando problemas de comportamento (Grupo IPC) ou comportamentos socialmente habilidosos (Grupo ICSH), em dois momentos: quando tinham cinco anos e quando tinham 10 anos. Participaram 48 professoras de 62 crianças de ambos os sexos. Os instrumentos utilizados foram Questionário de Respostas Socialmente Habilidosas para Professores e Escala Comportamental Infantil B. Os resultados indicaram diminuição dos problemas de comportamento e aumento dos comportamentos socialmente adequados no grupo IPC; os grupos eram bastante diferentes na primeira avaliação, quando na EI, mas as mudanças se atenuaram no ensino fundamental. Em ambas as avaliações, as crianças do Grupo ICSH foram avaliadas como mais habilidosas.The aim of this study was to assess the development of children whose primary teachers believed they had behavioral problems (IPC Group) compared to socially skilled children (ICSH Group). They were assessed in two occasions: when they were five years old and when they were 10 years old. Forty-eight teachers and 62 children of both genders participated in the study. The instruments used were the Teacher's Questionnaire for Socially Skilled Responses and the Child Behavior Scale B. In the results, the IPC Group showed a decrease of behavior problems and an increase in socially appropriate behavior. The groups were quite different in the first assessment, but their behaviors became more similar in elementary school. In both assessments, children in ICSH Group were assessed as more socially skilled