Abstract

This study investigated the behavior problems of children, both institutionalized and home-reared, depending on their sex, age, and entry to institution. The subjects included 621 children (274 institutionalized, 347 home-reared; 298 boys and 323 girls; 209 preschoolers, 223 first to third graders, 189 fourth to sixth). The data collected were analyzed with t-test, 3-way ANOVA, Scheffe test, and Pearson's correlation. Children's emotionality had two sides: Positive (happiness) and negative (sadness, anger, and fear). Measures of behavior problems included internalization (anxiety, immaturity, withdrawal, physical symptom) and externalization (hyperactivity, aggression). The results of this study indicated that the institutionalized were higher in negative emotionality than their counterparts, whereas the home-reared higher in positive emotionality. The institutionalized children also had higher externalizing problems than the home-reared. Furthermore, children's negative emotionality was positively related to their internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, while their positive emotionality was negatively related to the internalizing behavior problems.

Keywords

• institutionalized children;
• emotionality;
• behavior problems

• 시설보호 아동;
• 정서성;
• 행동문제;