Educational Social Skills and Repertoire of Children Differentiated by Behavior and Sex

Abstract

Abstract Our study sought to compare mothers’ behavioral repertoire (educational social skills and negative practices) and maternal anxiety and depression indicators with children’s behaviors (behavior problems and social skills), by assessing the variables “sex” (boys and girls) and “occurrence of behavior problems”. The sample consisted of 20 children with behavior problems (clinical group), 20 without behavior problems (non-clinical group), their mothers and teachers. Reporting instruments were used with teachers and mothers and comparative analyzes were conducted between groups. The results indicated that the clinical group had higher rates of behavior problems and maternal depressive symptoms, whereas the non-clinical group showed more child social and educational social skills. Sex did not differ between groups. We concluded that maternal educational practices are more influenced by children’s behaviors than by their sex.