THE WORLD OF PARENTS AND PEERS - COERCIVE EXCHANGES AND CHILDRENS SOCIAL ADAPTATION

The relation among child antisocial behavior, child coercive exchanges with parents and peers, and the social adaptation of middle-childhood -aged boys and girls was investigated. The 374 children were observed during laboratory tasks with their parents and during recess with peer s. A covariance model was tested that hypothesized that coercive excha nges with parents and peers would contribute uniquely to a multiple-ag ent assessment of child antisocial behavior, supporting an ecological view of social development. A single model described both boys and gir ls adequately, although minor gender-specific variations in effect siz e did produce a better fit. Children's antisocial behavior was associa ted with school maladaption primarily among boys, as represented by ac ademic engagement in the classroom and peer nominations of social pref erence. Children's antisocial behavior and coercive interactions, in c ontrast, were correlated with peer antisocial behavior in both girls a nd boys.