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Psyc 422, Section 1, Spring 2013
 Introduction to Course
 Welcome
 Instructor
 Syllabus/Course Expectations
 Extra Credit Options
 Semester Project
 Fill out information card: name, student ID#, preferred
email, “code” for exams/grades
 Class Introductions
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Class Introductions
 With a partner:
 First name
 Year in school
 Major
 Why you’re taking this class
 List one thing you’ve done which you think no one else in
the class has ever done before.
 Share with class
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Chapter 1
Introduction to Normal and Abnormal
Behavior in Children and Adolescents
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Historical Views and Breakthroughs
 Ancient Greek/Roman view: The disabled were an economic
burden and social embarrassment to be scorned,
abandoned, put to death.
 Before 18th century: Children’s mental health problems were
ignored and children were subjected to harsh treatment due
to beliefs that they would die, were possessed, or were
parents’ property.
 By end of 18th century: Interest in abnormal child behavior
surfaced, although strong church influence attributed
behavior to their uncivilizied, provocative nature.
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Historical Views (cont.)
 The Emergence of Social Conscience
 John Locke (17th century) believed children should be
raised with thought and care, not indifference and harsh
treatment
 Jean-Marc Itard 1775 - 1838 (19th century) focused on
the care, treatment and training of “mental defectives”
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Historical Views (cont.)
 The Emergence of Social Conscience (cont.)
 Distinction between Psychiatric Disorder and Mental
Retardation

Leta Hollingworth: Distinction between individuals with
mental retardation (“imbeciles”) and those with psychiatric
disorders (“lunatics”)
 Benjamin Rush: Children are incapable of adult-like
insanity, so those with normal cognitive abilities but
disturbing behavior suffer from “moral insanity”
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Historical Views (cont.)
 Early Biological Attributions
 Treatment of infectious diseases (late 19th century)
strengthened belief that diseases are biological problems
 Clifford Beers’s efforts led to detection and intervention
 Intervention was limited to the most visible disorders
 Belief that development of disorders could not be
influenced by treatment or learning caused a return to
custodial care and punishment of behaviors
 The view of mental disorders as “diseases” led to fear of
contamination, then eugenics and segregation
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Historical Views (cont.)
 Early Psychological Attributions
 Psychological influences rooted in early 20th century
formulating taxonomy of illnesses
 Psychoanalytic theory linked mental disorders to
childhood experiences and explored their development
 Behaviorism laid the foundation for empirical study of how
abnormal behavior develops and can be treated through
conditioning
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Historical Views (cont.)
 Evolving Forms of Treatment
 Until late 1940s, most children with intellectual or mental
disorders were institutionalized
 1945-1965: The number of children in institutions
decreased while the number of children in foster care and
group homes increased
 1950s and 1960s: Behavior therapy was the systematic
approach to treatment of child and family disorders
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Historical Views (cont.)
 Progressive Legislation
 IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act):
 free and appropriate public education for children with
special needs
 least restrictive environment
 individualized education program (IEP) for each child
 United Nations General Assembly (2007): Convention to
protect the rights of persons with disabilities
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
What Is Abnormal Behavior in Children and Adolescents?
 Disorders are commonly viewed as deviancies from normal
despite arbitrary boundaries between normal and abnormal
functioning
 Defining Psychological Disorders
 Traditionally defined as patterns of behavioral, cognitive,
emotional, or physical symptoms associated with one or
more of the following:
 distress
 disability
 increased risk for further suffering or harm
 Excludes cultural background
 Describes behaviors, not causes
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
What Is Abnormal Behavior (cont.)
 Defining Psychological Disorders (cont.)
 Labels describe behavior, not people
 Challenge of stigma: negative attitudes and beliefs that
motivate fear, rejection, avoidance, and discrimination
 Problems may be the result of children’s attempts to
adapt to abnormal or unusual circumstances
 Consistent with DSM-IV-TR, the primary purpose of using
terms is to help describe, organize, and express complex
features of behavior patterns
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
What Is Abnormal Behavior (cont.)
 Competence:
 Must consider the degree of maladaptive behavior and
also children’s competence (ability to adapt in the
environment and to achieve normal developmental
milestones)
 Knowledge of developmental tasks, such as conduct and
academic achievement, is fundamental for determining
developmental progress and impairments
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
What Is Abnormal Behavior (cont.)
 Developmental Pathways
 The sequence and timing of particular behaviors as well
as the possible relationships between behaviors over time
 Two types of developmental pathways:
 multifinality: various outcomes may stem from similar
beginnings
 equifinality: similar outcomes stem from different early
experiences and developmental pathways
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
What Is Abnormal Behavior (cont.)
 Developmental Pathways (cont.)
 With abnormal child psychology, keep in mind:
 there are many contributors to disordered outcomes in
each child
 contributors vary among children who have the
disorder
 children express features of their disturbances in
different ways
 pathways leading to particular disorders are numerous
and interactive, not unidimensional and static
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Risk and Resilience
 Risk factors: variables that precede a negative outcome and
increase the chances that the outcome will occur
 Protective factors: personal or situational variables that
reduce the chances of a child developing a disorder
 Examples????
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Risk and Resilience (cont.)
 Risk factors (cont.)
 Risk factors typically involve acute, stressful situations, as
well as chronic adversity
 Known risk factors:
 chronic poverty
 serious care-giving deficits
 parental mental illness
 death of a parent
 community disasters
 homelessness
 family breakup
 pregnancy and birth complications
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Risk and Resilience (cont.)
 Resilience is the ability to fight off or recover from misfortune:
 associated with strong self-confidence, coping skills,
ability to avoid risk situations, ability to fight off or recover
from misfortune
 not a universal, categorical, or fixed attribute; it varies
across time and situations
 connected to a “protective triad” of resources and healthpromoting events:
 strength of the child,
 strength of the family, and
 strength of the school/community
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
The Significance of Mental Health Problems Among
Children and Youth
 1 in 8 children, including infants and toddlers, has a
significant mental health problem that significantly impairs
functioning;
 Many others are at risk for later development of a
psychological disorder
 25% of children who require mental health services receive
only 1/9 of the treatment dollars
 The majority of children and youth needing mental health
services do not receive them
 By 2020, the demand for children’s mental health services is
expected to double
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Significance (cont.)
 The Changing Picture of Children’s Mental Health
 In the past, children with mental health and educational
needs were described in global terms, such as
“maladjusted”
 Better ability to distinguish among disorders has given
rise to increased and earlier recognition of problems
 Today, problems of younger children and teens are better
acknowledged
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Significance (cont.)
 The Changing Picture of Children’s Mental Health (cont.)
 Mental health problems are more likely seen in children:
 from disadvantaged families and neighborhoods
 from abusive/neglectful families
 receiving inadequate child care
 born with very low birth weight
 whose parents are mentally ill or substance abusers
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
What Affects Rates and Expression of Mental Disorders?
 Poverty and Socioeconomic Disadvantage
 About 1 in 6 children in the United States and Canada live in
poverty (18% nationally, 16% in Idaho)
 Native American/First Nations and African American children
are at greatest risk
 Poverty is associated with impairments in learning ability and
school achievement, as well as less education, low-paying jobs,
inadequate health care, single-parent status, limited resources,
poor nutrition, and greater exposure to violence
 Poor children suffer more conduct problems, chronic illness,
school problems, emotional disorders, and cognitive/learning
problems
 Poverty has a significant, yet indirect, effect on children’s
adjustment, which affects learning and mental health
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Rates and Expression (cont.)
 Sex Differences
 Aggression:
 expressed more directly by boys
 expressed more indirectly by girls
 Sex differences appear negligible in children under age 3,
but increase with age
 Examples of problems/difficulties by age/gender???
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Rates and Expression (cont.)
 Sex Differences (cont.)
 Problems seen more in boys (externalizing problems):
 hyperactivity and autism
 acting-out behaviors (aggression and delinquency)
 childhood disruptive behavior disorders
 learning and communication disorders
 early-onset disorders with neuro-developmental impairment
 Problems seen more in girls (internalizing problems):
 anxiety, depression, withdrawn behavior
 somatic complaints
 eating disorders
 emotional disorders with peak age of onset in adolescence
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Rates and Expression (cont.)
 Sex Differences (cont.)
 Resilience:
 In boys, associated with
 male role model
 structure and rules
 encouragement of emotional expressiveness
 In girls, associated with households that combine risk
taking and independence with support from female
caregiver
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Rates and Expression (cont.)
 Race and Ethnicity
 Most cultural anthropologists see race as a socially
constructed concept, not a biological one
 Minority children in the U.S. are overrepresented in rates
of some disorders:
 substance abuse
 delinquency
 teen suicide
 When controlling for other effects (SES, gender, age,
referral status), few differences emerge in relation to race
or ethnicity, although significant barriers to care remain
 Minority children face multiple disadvantages, including
marginalization, poverty, and exclusion from society’s
benefits
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Rates and Expression (cont.)
 Culture
 Values, beliefs, practices of ethnocultural groups:
 contribute to development and expression of children’s
disorders
 affect how people/institutions react to children’s
problems
 affect how problems are expressed
 Important not to generalize research from one culture to
another, although some processes and disorders may be
similar across diverse cultures
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Rates and Expression (cont.)
 Child Maltreatment and Non-Accidental Trauma
 Nearly 1 million verified reports of child abuse and neglect
in the U.S. per year
 Over 600,000 such cases in Canada
 Estimate: more than 1/3 of 10- to 16-year-olds experience
physical and/or sexual assaults by family members or
other people they know
 Such adverse affects of maltreatment lead to significant
mental health problems in children and youth
 16% of boys and 19% of girls meet criteria for PTSD,
major depressive disorder, or substance abuse/
dependence due to acts of violence
 Financial consequences of abuse and trauma: $94 billion
in the U.S.
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Rates and Expression (cont.)
 Special Issues Concerning Adolescents and Sexual Minority
Youths
 Early- to mid-adolescence is a particularly important
transitional period for healthy versus problematic
adjustment
 Substance use, risky sexual behavior, violence,
accidental injuries, and mental health problems are a few
of the major issues that make adolescence a particularly
vulnerable period
 Mortality rates more than double between early
adolescence (ages 10-14) and later adolescence (ages
15-19) due primarily to risk-taking behavior
 Sexual minority youths face multiple challenges that affect
health and well-being, including victimization by peers and
family members
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Rates and Expression (cont.)
 Lifespan Implications
 Impact is most severe when problems go untreated for
extended periods of time
 About 20% of children with the most chronic and serious
disorders
 will have significant difficulties throughout their lives
 are least likely to finish school
 are most likely to have social problems and psychiatric
disorders
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning
Rates and Expression (cont.)
 Lifespan Implications (cont.)
 Lifelong consequences associated with child
psychopathology are costly in terms of economic impact
and human suffering
 When provided with circumstances and opportunities that
promote healthy adaptation and competence, children can
overcome major impediments
 Recognition of children’s mental health problems has led to
major initiatives for prevention and intervention
Mash/Wolfe Abnormal Child Psychology, 4th edition
© 2009 Cengage Learning