Age trends in the association between parenting practices and conduct problems

The authors studied the association between parenting practices and conduct problem behavior in a sample of 179 clinic-referred children and adolescen ts. Parenting practices were assessed using a multi-informant and multimeth od assessment system. Conduct problems were the DSM-III-R criteria for oppo sitional defiant disorder and conduct disorder assessed by a structured psy chiatric interview with multiple informants. Results indicated that parents ' involvement in their children's activities was most strongly predictive o f conduct problems in the adolescent age group (ages 13-17), whereas corpor al punishment was most strongly associated with conduct problems in the mid dle age group (ages 9-12). Parents' monitoring and supervision of their chi ldren's behavior was moderately predictive of conduct problems in both of t hese age groups but only weakly predictive in the youngest age group (ages 6-9). Finally, parental consistency in using discipline was highly predicti ve of conduct problems in the adolescent age group and moderately predictiv e in the youngest age group.