Agressie, aandachtsproblemen en empathie bij kinderen.: De rol van gedragscombinaties en informantverschillen in hun onderlinge samenhang.

Aggressive behavior in children is a well-known risk factor for later antisocial development. Reduced empathy and symptoms of ADHD, such as attention problems, are often assumed to play a role. However, previous research has produced mixed findings, and little is known about how parents and teachers may differ in their perceptions of children’s behavior. This study examined the relationship between empathy, aggression, and attention problems in primary school children (ages 6-12), who were referred to the Preventive Intervention Trjaectory (PIT) in Amsterdam because of elevated aggression. The final sample included 205 children (72,7% boys). Empathy was measured with the Inventaris Empathie voor Kinderen en Adolescenten (IEKA), while behavioral problems were reported by both parents (CBCL) and teachers (TRF). Correlation analyses and t-tests were used to explore associations and to compare differences between informants. The results showed no significant associations between...Show moreAggressive behavior in children is a well-known risk factor for later antisocial development. Reduced empathy and symptoms of ADHD, such as attention problems, are often assumed to play a role. However, previous research has produced mixed findings, and little is known about how parents and teachers may differ in their perceptions of children’s behavior. This study examined the relationship between empathy, aggression, and attention problems in primary school children (ages 6-12), who were referred to the Preventive Intervention Trjaectory (PIT) in Amsterdam because of elevated aggression. The final sample included 205 children (72,7% boys). Empathy was measured with the Inventaris Empathie voor Kinderen en Adolescenten (IEKA), while behavioral problems were reported by both parents (CBCL) and teachers (TRF). Correlation analyses and t-tests were used to explore associations and to compare differences between informants. The results showed no significant associations between affective empathy and aggressive behavior or attention problems, regardless of informant. Rule-breaking behavior and social problems were also unrelated to empathy. Interestingly, boys reported higher levels of empathy than girls, while no gender differences were found for problem behavior. Teachers consistently rated children’s problems as more severe than parents did, with only weak agreement between the two sources. These findings suggest that affective empathy alone is not a strong predictor of aggression or attention-related problems in at-risk children. Other factors, such as impulsivity or emotion regulation, may be more influental. Furthermore, the discrepancies between parents and teachers underline the importance of using multiple informants when assessing children’s behavior, as each perspective offers a different part of the overall picture.Show less

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Agressie, aandachtsproblemen en empathie bij kinderen. De rol van gedragscombinaties en informantverschillen in hun onderlinge samenhang.