A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF GREEK CHILDREN IN LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL GROUP CARE AND IN 2-PARENT FAMILIES - I - SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND BEHAVIORAL-DIFFERENCES

The social, behavioural, and school adjustment of 41 9-year-old childr en in long-term residential group care in Greece was compared with tha t of children of the same sex and age brought up in two-parent familie s. Observational, interview, and questionnaire measures were employed. Observations in school classrooms showed that compared with their cla ssmates, the group care children were more inattentive, participated l ess often in the classroom activities, were more likely to be passive, and tended to be involved in alternative and nonproductive activities . In the playground, they rarely interacted with non-institutional chi ldren. On both parent and teacher scales the group care children showe d significantly more overall disturbance. The boys showed poor task in volvement in the classroom and more emotional difficulties, conduct pr oblems, and hyperactivity, whereas the between-group differences for g irls were statistically significant only for emotional disturbance and poor task involvement in the classroom. Both boys and girls in long-t erm residential care showed less harmonious, confiding relationships w ith peers than those reared in families, and were more affection-seeki ng with teachers.