Social support and emotional/behavioral difficulties

The perceived availability of social support has been documented as a protective mechanism among adults and adolescents but little work has been done with children with emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBD). The current research addressed this gap in literature with a sample of teacher-nominated children with EBD. Fifty-four children (43 males, 11 females), 56 parents, and 27 teachers completed questionnaires on perceived social support and behavioral, emotional, and social functioning. Results suggest a pattern of domain specific social support relating to domain specific adjustment outcomes. Furthermore, the importance of child ratings over parent and teacher ratings of social support was evident. Significant inter-rater differences were found on ratings of social support, despite directional agreement. Finally, children with higher ratings of social support reported more positive adjustment and less negative adjustment than children with lower support ratings. Interventions that are child-centered and domain specific are suggested