Article
Common Concerns of School Age Children.
Common Concerns of School Age Children
(1999)
Abstract
This study assessed common concerns of school-age children. Participating were 138 children in grades 1, 3, and 5. Concerns were spontaneously generated by children during Phase 1 of the study, and common stressors most frequently mentioned were ranked on a 10-item rank-order task during Phase 2. In Phase 3, children completed questionnaires measuring their manifest anxiety and locus of control. In Phase 4, children's understanding of the concept of worry was assessed in semi-structured interviews with a small subsample. Findings indicated that fifth graders were significantly more worried about school than younger children. They were also more concerned about peer acceptance and the future than third graders. Third graders were more concerned about getting in trouble than fifth graders. Similar grade differences were found in children's rankings of common concerns. Fifth graders were again significantly more worried about school problems than younger children. Fifth graders were significantly more worried about family members getting hurt than third graders. First graders were significantly more worried about smoking and drugs than third graders. Fifth graders were significantly less anxious and had a significantly more internal locus of control than third graders, who in turn were significantly less anxious and had a significantly more internal locus of control than first graders. First graders exhibited less ability to verbally express their understanding of the concept of worry than older children. First graders were more likely to associate worry with sadness, while older children were more likely to associate worry with fear. (Contains 14 references.) (Author/KB)
Disciplines
Publication Date
April 1, 1999
Citation Information
Amy J. Malkus and Lynn M. Musser. "Common Concerns of School Age Children." Common Concerns of School Age Children (1999) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/amy-malkus/2/