This longitudinal study investigated child and family characteristics associated with stable behavior problems in children. Parents of 41 preschoolers with and without externalizing problems participated in a 5-year follow-forward assessment. Parents completed a behavioral checklist and children were placed into one of three behavior groups: stable problems, improved, and comparisons. Results indicated that, at preschool age, the group of children with stable behavior problems had mothers who used more controlling child-rearing practices, and had parents who used more aggressive tactics during conflict with each other than the parents of children in the other groups. Children with stable behavior problems were also more intense, active, and less easy to manage at preschool age than were the other two groups of children.
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