Family Facts: Social Science Research on Family, Society & Religion

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This finding looks at the relationship between mothers' employment and children's behavioral problems.

There was a clear pattern linking mothers' employment during the first year of their children's lives and their children's subsequent aggressive and problematic behavior. Even when taking into account gender, ethnicity, social class, and mothers' current employment status, third- and fourth-graders whose mothers worked when they were less than one year old were more likely to "act out," to have lower tolerance of frustration, and to be more likely to hit or be aggressive toward peers.

Sample or Data Description
365 Midwestern families with a third- or fourth-grade child.

Source
"Peer and Teacher Ratings of Third- and Fourth-Grade Children's Social Behavior as a Function of Early Maternal Employment"
Youngblade, Lise M.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Vol. 44, Number 4. , 2003. Page(s) 477-488.

FindingID: 5551