Chapter 1 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology of Childhood

Themes of Your Textbook 1. Research Protects Children Sound research allows us to base treatment on objective, controlled studies Research on psychopathology helps children by revealing sources of their illnesses and separates effective interventions from fads or ill-founded beliefs.

2. Children develop in contexts, including family, neighborhood, and cultural settings Developmental psychopathology stresses that maybe multiple causes of a particular psychological problem Few adjustment problems arise from the child in isolation, but rather result from external influences

3. Behavior has biological and genetic roots Advances in neuroscience are rapidly changing child psychopathology field, expanding brain-behavior links

4. Development is fundamental Children not “mini-adults” –Children’s memories of events are quite unreliable at earlier than 2-3 years and improve thereafter –Developmental differences must be considered in psychopharmacological treatment of children

What is Child Psychopathology? No universally accepted clear distinction between normal and abnormal behavior

Three major criteria In order to be diagnosable, child’s actions or emotions must be painful or objectionable to himself or others. The behavior causes distress to child or others Behavior interferes with child’s everyday functioning Behavior is highly inappropriate culturally or socially

Normal Behavior Is Age-Appropriate Sex Differences in Problem Behavior: Boys Will Be Boys –Boys: More likely to taunt, hit, bully others, throw things, destroy property, use a weapon. Show more attention problems and hyperactive behavior

–Girls:While younger boys and girls are equally likely to be diagnosed with depression, in mid-teens girls depression rates increase greatly. In adolescence girls develop eating disorders

Role of Adults’ Expectations and Experience: Babies Shouldn’t Cry –Some adults fail to understand why babies cry, misinterpret crying as sign of malice or disobedience –Adults familiar with a particular child and able to observer child closely for long period more likely to classify child’s behavior as normal or deviant

Which Problems Are More Persistent? Factors related to continuity or discontinuity of disordered behavior –severity of problem –whether problem occurs in multiple settings – can indicate general orientation or set of attitudes

–children’s personal strengths and characteristics –close confiding relationship with at least one parent and a secure attachment to a parent –a caring adult

Resources for Parents and Teachers Self-Help books Websites –Child and Family Webguide ( –APA’s Committee on Children, Youth and Families (