Parental discipline and behavior problems in young children

The relationship between parenting practices and behavior problems in very young children was investigated via the Parent Behavior Checklist (PBC; Fox, 1994). Results indicated that parents' use of verbal and corporal punishment was the strongest predictor of reported behavior problems, accounting for 20% of overall variance and 13% of unique variance. Results for parental nurturing and expectations were mixed and suggest an indirect effect. Several demographic variables were also predictive of behavior problems. Implications for Patterson's (1986) model of the development of antisocial behavior and for the use of parent assessment as a screening tool for preventive interventions are discussed.