Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Behaviour problems in Chinese primary school children

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to determine levels of behaviour problem in primary school children, and to explore key determinants relevant to the Chinese context: being an only child, urban living, school stressors, being bullied and physical punishment.

Methods

We administered a child self-completion questionnaire to children aged 7–13 and Rutter Parent Scales to their parents in nine primary schools, in urban and rural Zhejiang Province, eastern China.

Results

Full data were available for 2,203 child–parent pairs. Rutter Scores showed that 13.2% of the children (16.4% of boys, 9.4% of girls) had a behaviour problem. Girls manifest more emotional problems (5.3 vs. 2.3%) and boys more conduct problems. Questions about school stress showed that 78% worry “a lot” about exams, 80% felt pressure to perform at school “all the time”, and 44% were bullied at least sometimes. Seventy-one percent were sometimes or often physically punished by their parents. Conduct problems were strongly significantly associated with male gender (OR 3.8 95% CI 3.0–4.6), rural residence OR 2.3, 1.3–3.4, having been bullied (1.8, 1.5–2.2) and frequent physical punishment (4.5, 3.2–5.8). Emotional problems were most strongly associated with being bullied (OR 4.9, 2.3–7.7). Being an only child was not associated with behaviour problems.

Conclusions

High levels of behaviour problems in these Chinese children could relate to high expectations in a very competitive educational environment. Our results raise concerns for the future mental well-being of those children with behaviour problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen S, Revallion M (2004) How have the world’s poorest fared since the early 1980s? World Bank Res Obs 19(2):141–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Hesketh T, Li L, Zhu WX (2005) The effect of China’s one child family policy after 25 years. N Engl J Med 353(11):1171–1176

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fong V (2004) Only hope: coming of age under China’s one child policy. Stanford University Press, San Francisco

  4. Hong X (2000) Structure of child rearing values in urban China. Sociol Perspect 43(3):457–471

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chao RK (1994) Beyond parental control and authoritarian parenting styles: understanding Chinese parenting through cultural notion of training. Child Dev 65(4):1111–1119

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Shen J, Yuan BJ (1999) Moral values of only and sibling children in mainland China. J Psychol 133:115–124

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Jing Q, Wan C, Over R (1987) Single child family in China: psychological perspectives. Int J Psychol 22:127–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Berndt TJ, Cheung PC, Lau S, Hu KT, Law W (1993) Perceptions of parenting in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong: sex differences and societal differences. Dev Psychol 29(1):156–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Rutter M (1967) A children’s behaviour questionnaire for completion by teachers: preliminary findings. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 8:1–11

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Elander J, Rutter M (1996) An update on the status of the Rutter Parents and Teachers Scales. Child Psychol Psychiatry Rev 1(1):31–35

    Google Scholar 

  11. Verhulst FC, van der Ende J (1991) Assessment of child psychopathology: relationships between different methods, different informants and clinical judgement of severity. Acta Psychiatr Scand 84(2):155–159

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Prior M, Viasinghe S, Smart D (2005) Behavioural problems in Sri lanka schoolchildren. Soc Psychiatry Psychaitr Epiemiol 40:654–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Matsuura M, Okubo Y, Kato M, Kojima T, Takahasi R, Asai K (1989) An epidemiological investigation of emotional and behavioural problems in primary school children in Japan. Soc Psychiatry Psychaitr Epidemiol 24:17–22

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Wong CK (1998) The Rutter Parent A2 Scale and the Teacher Scale B2 in Chinese II clinical validity among Chinese children. Acta Psychiatr Scand 78(1):11–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Wong CK (1998) The Rutter Parent A2 Scale and the Teacher Scale B2 in Chinese I. translation study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 77(6):724–728

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Qian Y, Wang YF (2007) Reliability and validity of behaviour rating scale of executive function parent form for school age children in China. Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao 39(3):277–283

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hesketh T, Qu JD (2005) Anxiety and depression in adolescence in urban and rural China. Psychol Rep 96:435–444

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Hesketh T, Qu JD, Tomkins A (2003) Health effects of family size: cross-sectional survey in Chinese adolescents. Arch Dis Child 88:467–471

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Yang B, Ollendick TH, Dong Q (1995) Only children and children with siblings in the People’s Republic of China: levels of fear, anxiety and depression. Child Dev 66:1301–1311

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Liu K, Ren F, Gao XH (2002) The present condition of children’s behaviour problems in Jingzhou and analysis of correlative factors. J Health Educ China 18:345–347

    Google Scholar 

  21. Matsuura M, Okubu Y, Kojima T, Takahshi R, Wang YF, Shen YC, Lee CK (1993) A cross-national prevalence study of children with emotional and behaviour problems. A WHO Collaborative study in the Western Pacific Region. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 34(3):307–315

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Wang Y, Shen Y, Gu B, Jai M, Zhang A (1989) An epidemiological study of behaviour problems in schoolchildren in urban areas of Beijing. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 30(6):907–912

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wang YF, Ren GY, Gu BM (2000) The comparative research of children’s behaviour problems in Beijing. J Mental Health China 14:51–53

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Lin H, Wang YF, Wu YP (2007) A control study of a school-based life skills education on prevention of behaviour problems in third grade schoolchildren. Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao 39(3):319–322

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Pharoah POD, Stevenson CJ, Cooke RW, Stevenson RC (1994) Prevalence of behaviour problems in low birthweight infants. Arch Dis Child 70:271–274

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Almqvist F, Kumpulainen K, Ikaheimo K, Linna SL, Henttonen I, Huikko E (1999) Behaviour and emotional symptoms in 8 9-year-old children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 8(Suppl 4):S7–S16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Sourander A, Haavist A, Ronning JA, Multimaki P, Parkkola K, Santalahti P, Nikolakaros G, Helenius H, Moilanen I, Tamminen T, Piha J, Kumpulainen K, Almqvist F (2005) Recognition of psychiatric problems and self-perceived problems: a follow-up study from age 8 to 18. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 46(10):1124–1134

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Taanila A, Ebeling H, Kotimaa A, Moilanen I, Jarvelin MR (2004) Is a large family a protective factor against behaviour and emotional problems at the age of eight years? Acta Paediatr 93(4):508–517

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Jiao S, Ji G, Jing Q (1986) Comparative study of behaviour qualities of only children and sibling children. Child Dev 57:357–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Fan F, Su L, Gill M, Birmaher B (2009) Emotional and behavioural problems of Chinese left-behind children: a preliminary study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 45(6):655–664. doi:10.1007/s00127-009-0107-4

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Hesketh T, Zhen Y, Lu L, Dong ZX, Jun YX, Xing ZW (2010) Stress and psychosomatic symptoms in Chinese school children: cross-sectional survey. Arch Dis Child 95(2):136–140

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Brown PH, Park A (2002) Education and poverty in rural China. Econ Educ Rev 21:523–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Rigby K (2003) Consequences of bullying in schools. Can J Psychiatry 48(9):583–590

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Caspi A, Moffitt TE, Newmann DI, Silva PA (1996) Behaviour observation at age 13 predict adult psychiatric problems: longitudinal evidence from a birth cohort. Archives Gen Psychiatr 53:1033–1039

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Kumpulainen K, Rasenen E, Henttonen I (1997) The persistence of psychiatric disturbance among children. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 32:113–122

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Puura K, Almqvist F, Tamminen T, Piha J, Rasanen E, Kumpulainen K, Moilanen I, Koiviso AM (1998) Psychiatric disturbances among prepubertal children in Southern Finland. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 33:310–318

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Ristkari T, Sourander A, Ronning J, Piha, Kumpulainen K, Tamminen T, Moilanen I, Almqvist F (2009) Childhood psychopathology and sense of coherence at age 18: findings from the Finnish from a boy to a man study. Soc Psychiatr Epidemiol. doi:1007/s00127-009-0032-6

  38. Sourander A, Jensen P, Ronning JA, Niemala S, Helenius H, Sillinmaki L, Kumpulainen K, Piha J, Moilanen I, Tamminen T, Almqvist F (2007) What is the early adult outcome of boys who bully or who are bullied in childhood? The Finnish from a Boy to a Man study. Pediatrics 120(2):397–404

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Liu XC, Ma DD, Kurita H (1999) Self-reported depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents. Soc Psychiatry Psychaitr Epidemiol 34:44–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Goodman R, Iervolino AC, Collishaw S, Pickles A, Maughan B (2007) Seemingly minor changes to a questionnaire can make a big difference to man scores; a cautionary tale. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 42:322–327

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Achenbach TM (1991) Integrative guide tie the 1991 CBCL/4-18 YSR and TRF profiles. Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington

  42. Kresanov K, Tuominen J, Piha J, Almqvist F (1998) Validity of child psychiatric screening methods. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 7:85–95

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UCL Centre for International Health and Development, 30 Guilford St, London, WC1N1EH, UK

    Therese Hesketh

  2. Institute of Family and Social Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China

    Yan Zheng, Ye Xu Jun, Zhu Wei Xing, Zhou Xu Dong & Li Lu

Authors
  1. Therese Hesketh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yan Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ye Xu Jun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Zhu Wei Xing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zhou Xu Dong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Li Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Therese Hesketh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hesketh, T., Zheng, Y., Jun, Y.X. et al. Behaviour problems in Chinese primary school children. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 46, 733–741 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0240-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0240-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation