Emotional and Social Problems in Primary School Children: A National Screening Program

The scientific literature clearly reveals the growing incidence of the children's emotional and behavioural problems. The current paper investigates the prevalence of the socially and emotionally related problems in a Romanian sample of 1292 children, from low-budget families, studying in schools from disadvantaged communities. The children, aged 7 to 11, were assessed using ASEBA and SSRS self-reported questionnaires. Statistical analysis revealed a high incidence of social problems (21%), internalising (17,1%) and externalising (13,7%) problems, with a significant difference between boys and girls (F(4, 424) = 6.58, p< .01). Strategies to prevent these problems in the school environment are discussed.