ABSTRACT
In chapter 3, we reported group differences between girls’ and boys’ problem behaviors in kindergarten and first grade, with girls described as showing more internalizing behavior (withdrawn, anxious, depressed) and boys as showing more externalizing behavior (aggressive, hostile, hyperactive). These problem behaviors represent more extreme forms of what can be considered normal sex-stereotyped behavior in which girls are expected to be more emotionally reactive and dependent and boys to be more assertive and aggressive (Leaper, 2002). Our inquiry in this chapter centers on the question of whether variations in family processes that enhance or inhibit sex-typed behavior may help us to understand variations in children’s socioemotional adaptation to school.
