Exploring conduct difficulties amongst middle-aged children living in care

Plain language summary

This study looked at behaviour problems in children aged four to 11 who were living in foster care. The researchers wanted to understand how these children thought about themselves, other people and the world around them – and whether these thoughts are connected to their behaviour.

Eighty-two carers filled out the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which is used to measure children’s emotional and behavioural challenges. Children completed the Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP) to explore their attachment and other internal representations. Following this quantitative enquiry, in the second part, a subsample of 27 children who scored highly for conduct disorder and within normal parameters for internalising difficulties on the SDQ were selected for a more in-depth qualitative enquiry.

The first part of the study didn’t find a clear link between the level of behaviour difficulties and how children viewed themselves or others. However, in the second part, many of the children showed negative views of adults in their stories, especially when the story involved strong emotions. These stories were also often less organised and harder to follow.

This research highlights how complex behaviour problems in children can be, especially for those in care. It also shows how important it is to understand each child’s emotional background and relationships, so professionals can better support them and develop more effective approaches to care and intervention.