This study investigated the effect of a mindfulness-based intervention on pathological symptoms in boys with externalised disorders. A total of 24 elementary school students with externalising disorders, diagnosed by completing the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), were randomly assigned to a mindfulness-based intervention for two months. One session per week was offered and each session lasted one hour (n = 12) or as a wait-list control group (n = 12). Data were analysed via a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) test. Students from the intervention group showed greater reductions in rule-breaking behaviours than those in the wait-list control group. Also, there was clear superiority of the intervention relative to the wait-list control group for reducing both aggression and rule-breaking behaviours (effect size differences were d = −2.52 and d = −1.88 respectively). These positive results on outcome measures provide initial evidence for a mindfulness-based intervention as a treatment option for boys with externalising disorders.

One hundred and ninety-eight adolescents and their mothers (N=189) and fathers (N=136) participated in a 4-year longitudinal study. Adolescent problem behaviour was assessed by the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). In addition, parental stress and marital adjustment were determined.

Results showed that mothers and fathers showed high agreement, especially about their daughters, whereas parents and adolescents showed little agreement. Agreement was higher for internalising than for externalising behaviours. In general, adolescents reported more symptomatology than their parents did. However, mothers' ratings of their children's behaviours were significantly correlated with adolescents' self-ratings, but fathers' ratings were not. Statistical tests of correlations showed that mothers experiencing stress caused by marital problems perceived more problem behaviours in their children. Fathers' perceptions were relatively unaffected by personal adjustment. However, poor marital adjustment perceived by both parents showed a significant negative relation to adolescent externalising problem behaviour.

The associations of the mutual mother–child, father–child, and mother–father relationship and various patterns of family relations with child psychopathology were investigated in a sample of 137 families referred to outpatient mental health services. Assessment of the relative association of the different family dyads showed that both the mother–child and the mother–father relationship were related to child problem behaviour. However, whereas the mother–child relationship was consistently more related to externalising behaviour, the mother–father relationship was particularly related to internalising behaviour. Our findings gave clear support for the cumulative risk model: having more negatively qualified relationships was associated with more problem behaviour. Furthermore, our results suggested a protective influence of the parent–child relationship: having one or two positive parent–child relationships was associated with less problem behaviour. No support was found for the cross-generational coalition hypothesis. Implications for future research are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine prospectively the impact of family transition on deviant development in a sample of 427 French-Canadian boys participating in a longitudinal study from kindergarten onwards. During the course of the study some boys experienced family transition. We grouped the boys by developmental period and number of marital transitions they experienced: divorced between ages 6 and 11; divorced between ages 12 to 15; remarried between ages 6 and 11; and remarried between ages 12 and 15. From ages 11 to 15 we assessed boys' delinquency and their family processes (parental supervision, punishment, and communication) annually. The results suggest that boys who experienced remarriage between ages 12 and 15 are at greater risk for delinquency. In particular, they showed evidence of comparatively more theft and fighting at earlier ages than their peers from families that had remained intact. At similar points in development, they perceived less expressive parent–child relationships. Finally, these boys also perceived less monitoring by their parents, both overall and at different points in adolescence.