Prosocial Behavior: Long-Term Trajectories and Psychosocial Outcomes

Peer problems and prosocial behaviours across development: Associations with anxiety and depression in emerging adulthood

Peer problems in childhood and adolescence are associated with anxiety and depression in emerging adulthood. However, it remains unclear whether prosocial behaviours reduce this risk and whether these associations remain after adjusting for familial factors, including genetics. The present study examined how the development of peer problems and prosocial behaviours across childhood and adolescence were associated with anxiety and depression in emerging adulthood, and whether these associations remained when using a monozygotic twin difference design. The study included up to 31,016 participants (50.4 % female) from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS; N = 19,758) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; N = 11,258), with sample sizes varying across analyses based on data availability. Repeated data were collected from ages 4 to 26/28 (TEDS/ALSPAC). Results from latent growth curve and path analyses showed that higher initial levels of peer problems and prosocial behaviours in childhood, as well as more persistent peer problems and prosocial behaviours during childhood, increased risk for anxiety and depression in emerging adulthood. Associations with peer problems remained significant after adjusting for familial factors using monozygotic twin difference scores, suggesting that individual-specific experiences, like children's responses to peer problems, may explain why peer problems increase risk for later anxiety and depression. In contrast, associations with prosocial behaviours did not remain significant after adjusting for familial factors, indicating that whilst prosocial behaviours in childhood were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression in emerging adulthood, this was largely explained by genetic or environmental factors shared within the family.

The Impact of Increasing Subjective Economic Inequality on Prosocial Behavior Development: The Longitudinal Mediating Effect of Trust and Moderating Effect of Socioeconomic Status

While the adverse effects of economic inequality on prosocial behavior have been well-documented, the dynamic processes and underlying mechanisms during emerging adulthood remain equivocal. Whether this relation is consistent across different socioeconomic status groups also awaits to be unveiled. To address these gaps, this three-year longitudinal study shed light on the developmental nature of subjective economic inequality, trust, as well as prosocial behavior, and the nuance within such associations across low- and high-socioeconomic status groups. This study collected data from 1065 Chinese emerging adults (649 females; Mage = 18.34 years, SD = 0.77) at Time 1, with 981 (attrition rate = 7.88%), 874 (attrition rate = 10.91%), and 830 (attrition rate = 5.03%) participating in Time 2, Time 3, and Time 4, respectively. Results of latent growth modeling found that subjective economic inequality increased, whereas trust and prosocial behavior declined over time. Initial levels of subjective economic inequality were indirectly through initial trust linked to the initial levels of and changes in prosocial behavior. Multi-group results revealed that in the high-socioeconomic status group, initial subjective economic inequality affected subsequent growth in prosocial behavior via changes in trust, whereas in the low-socioeconomic status group, the effect occurred through initial trust. These findings highlight that declining trust is the central mechanism by which subjective economic inequality reduces prosocial behavior, with different influencing pathways across socioeconomic status groups in the Chinese cultural context.

Prosocial Behaviour, Individualism, and Future Orientation of Chinese Youth: The Role of Identity Status as a Moderator

There is a lack of research directly examining the relationships between future orientation, individualism, prosocial engagement and identity status among Chinese youth. This study focuses on the moderating role of identity status in the relationship between individualistic values, future orientation and prosocial behaviours. The study sample consists of 1817 Chinese youth aged between 15 and 28. Six patterns of identity statuses were identified by a hierarchical cluster analysis. Path analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between the independent variables and youths' prosocial engagement and the moderating effects of identity status. The results showed that future orientation is significantly related to prosocial engagement, while individualistic value is not significantly associated with it. The interaction of future orientation and identity status significantly affects prosocial engagement. The effect of future orientation is greater for those in searching moratorium and carefree diffusion and lower for those in achievement and foreclosure. These imply that time perspective intervention may facilitate the prosocial engagement of students who lack a mature and committed identity.

Adolescent Peer Relationship Difficulties, Prosociality, and Parental Emotion Socialization: Moderating Roles of Adolescent Gender

The present study examined longitudinal, transactional associations between youth social adjustment (prosociality, peer relationship difficulties) and parental emotion socialization in early adolescence. Adolescent gender was considered as a potential moderator. Eighty-seven adolescent-parent dyads (50 girls, 37 boys) participated in 8th grade, with follow-up waves in 9th and 10th grade. Adolescents reported their experiences of peer victimization and their parents' emotion socialization responses, and parents reported youth prosocial behavior and peer relation problems. Hierarchical linear modeling results indicated transactional associations between parent supportive/unsupportive responses and adolescent peer relations and prosociality over time, some of which were moderated by adolescent gender. Increases in parental supportive emotion socialization corresponded to decreased experiences of peer victimization over time for girls, but not boys. When peer victimization increased over time, girls reported less parental supportive responses and all adolescents reported receiving more unsupportive responses from parents. For all adolescents, parents' increased supportive responses also corresponded to decreased peer problems and increased prosocial behavior. As prosocial behavior increased, so did parental supportive responses. Increases in parents' unsupportive responses related to decreased prosocial behavior, and increases in adolescent prosocial behavior related to decreases in parents' unsupportive responses. Results suggest that there is mutual influence between parent emotion socialization and adolescent social adjustment. Adolescent girls appear to uniquely benefit from parents' supportive emotional socialization in relation to their experiences of peer victimization. Potential mechanisms and implications are discussed.

Links between self-regulation patterns and prosocial behavior trajectories from middle childhood to early adolescence: a longitudinal study

Prosocial behavior that conforms to social norms and serves the good of others requires particularly high self-regulatory competences, because it is often in contrast with one's own interests. It is unknown which self-regulatory competences are particularly important for prosocial-behavior development and whether they may distinguish between children on different prosocial-behavior trajectories. This longitudinal study examined differences in self-regulatory competences, including inhibition, emotional reactivity, planning behavior, emotion regulation, working-memory updating, affective decision making, flexibility, and delay of gratification, between trajectories of prosocial behavior in 1,657 German 6- to 13-year-olds (52% female). LCGA suggested four trajectories of stable high, stable low, increasing, and decreasing prosocial behavior. MANOVAs showed differences between trajectories in inhibition and emotional reactivity at all three measurement points, as well as planning behavior at the second measurement point. Early patterns of these self-regulatory skills may help identifying children at risk for impaired long-term prosocial-behavior development and should primarily be addressed by prevention and intervention measures.

Are prosocial tendencies relevant for developmental psychopathology? The relations of prosocial behavior and empathy-related responding to externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and autism spectrum disorder

The field of developmental psychopathology tends to focus on the negative aspects of functioning. However, prosocial behavior and empathy-related responding - positive aspects of functioning- might relate to some aspects of psychopathology in meaningful ways. In this article, we review research on the relations of three types of developmental psychopathology- externalizing problems (EPs), internalizing problems (IPs), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - to empathy-related responding (e.g., affective and cognitive empathy, sympathy, personal distress) and prosocial behavior. Empathy-related responding and prosocial behavior generally have been inversely related to EPs, although findings are sometimes reversed for young children and, for empathy, weak for reactive aggression. Some research indicates that children's empathy (often measured as emotional contagion) and personal distress are positively related to IPs, suggesting that strong sensitivity to others' emotions is harmful to some children. In contrast, prosocial behaviors are more consistently negatively related to IPs, although findings likely vary depending on the motivation for prosocial behavior and the recipient. Children with ASD are capable of prosocially and empathy-related responding, although parents report somewhat lower levels of these characteristics for ASD children compared to neurotypical peers. Issues in regard to measurement, motivation for prosociality, causal relations, and moderating and mediating factors are discussed.

The association between social support and prosocial behavior: A three-level meta-analysis

Numerous studies have examined the relationship between social support and prosocial behavior and have concluded that social support is an important factor in generating prosocial behavior. However, different studies have produced different conclusions, and the moderating effect on the relationship is not entirely clear. The current study uses a three-level meta-analysis method to clarify the relationship between social support and prosocial behavior, and explores the moderating variables that affect the relationship between the two variables. Through a systematic literature search, a total of 92 studies, 418 effect sizes, and 74,378 participants were obtained. The main effects test found a significant positive correlation between social support and prosocial behavior. Tests of the moderating effects indicated that the relationship between social support and prosocial behavior was moderated by year of publication, source of social support, measurement of social support and measurement of prosocial behavior. In summary, social support plays an important role in prosocial behavior, and exploring their relationship is beneficial to families, schools and society in guiding individuals' prosocial behavior.

The Role of Parental Involvement in the Development of Prosocial Behavior in Young Children: An Evolutionary Model Among Colombian Families

Prosocial behavior is a relevant indicator of children's socio-emotional development linked to decreased conduct and emotional problems. The present study aimed to identify cross-sectional direct effects of parental involvement on prosocial behavior in three-time assessments at ages 3, 5, and 7 years, to identify carryover effects of the study constructs, and to identify the evolution of these effects over time. A sample of 235 Colombian families participated at t0, 220 at t1, and 145 at t2 by completing self-reported questionnaires for prosocial behavior using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire for parental involvement. Using PLS-SEM path modeling, we found that the contribution of parental involvement to prosocial behavior was significant in the three assessments. Carryover analyses indicated that initial levels of parental involvement and initial levels of prosocial behavior predict later levels. Using multigroup analysis, we tested significant changes in the path coefficients of direct effects, finding nonsignificant results. For carryover effects, we found changes in parental involvement between t0/t1 and t1/t2. Finally, t-test analyses were used to identify changes in the construct's means over time, finding significant changes between parental involvement at t1 and t2. No mean differences were found for prosocial behavior. Results from this study highlight the relevance of parental involvement during childhood for maintaining children's levels of prosocial behavior and reducing the risk of socio-emotional problems. Preventive approaches for these problems should include parents' training on parental involvement from age 3.5 years or earlier.

Middle childhood development in personal values

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate value change and stability longitudinally in middle childhood.

BACKGROUND

Values are the aspect of personality defining one's aspirations. Research identifies meaningful values in middle childhood, yet we know little about the process of their development within individual.

METHOD

Children (N = 298; 53.7% girls, Mage = 7 years and 3 months, SD = 7.70 months, at the first time point) four times, annually.

RESULTS

Rank-order stability increased with age and decreased with time-span. We found value hierarchy consistency, with value hierarchy similar to adolescents in the priority given to openness to change versus conservation values, and to adults in the priority given to self-transcendence values. Latent growth curve analyses indicated linear increase in openness to change, and curvilinear increase in self-transcendence values, and linear decrease in conservation and self-enhancement values, with some differences across ages. Value structure was better differentiated with age. Compatible values changed in similar, and conflicting values in opposite directions.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper suggests that in middle childhood, children can already report stable values. Moreover, middle childhood is characterized by coherent change patterns, of increase in the importance of growth, and decrease in the focus on conflicting protection values.

Fostering Prosociality in Refugee Children: An Intervention With Rohingya Children

Prosocial behavior is a distinguishing characteristic of human nature. Although prosocial behaviors emerge early in development, contextual factors play an important role in how these behaviors are manifested over development. A large body of research focuses on the trajectory of prosocial development across diverse cultures and investigating contexts that foster it. Against this backdrop of developmental research endeavoring to understand and enhance the cooperative side of humanity, is the catastrophic impact of profoundly negative forces on social-emotional development for children forced to flee from violent conflict. Close to half a million Rohingya children, whose families were forced to flee genocide in Myanmar, now live in the largest refugee camp in the world. To examine the resilience of human prosociality in the face of extreme adversity, we documented initial levels of prosociality in Rohingya refugee children living in a mega-camp (Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh) and the extent to which those levels were improved following a multifaceted intervention designed to foster prosociality. The research was a partnership between Rohingya community members with lived experience, humanitarian practitioners, and developmental researchers. A sample of 152 Rohingya children (5-12 years) participated in pre- and postintervention assessments of prosocial behaviors and related cognitive-affective processes. The 10-day collaboration-based intervention was implemented between November 2021 and January 2022 by Rohingya researchers. Birthplace was used as a proxy measure of trauma level. Children born in Myanmar (N = 88) directly experienced relatively higher levels of trauma (genocide, forced migration) than children who were born in the camp after their families fled from Myanmar (N = 64). Children were individually tested pre- and postintervention with a task battery, including a helping (Origami) and two sharing tasks (Dictator Game [DG], Forced Choice sharing) measuring prosocial behavior. Assessments of related cognitive-affective processes included measures of empathic responding and emotion perspective-taking in story tasks (Imagine, Judgment) and executive function (EF) skills (Younger: Hearts & Flowers; Older: Dimensional Change Card Sorting). Small group intervention sessions conducted over 10 days targeted these prosocial behaviors and cognitive-affective processes and were based on collaborative activities, emotion perspective taking and EF skills training with the same partner throughout the intervention phase. We used latent change modeling to examine initial levels (preintervention) and intervention-related changes in these measures from pre- to postintervention. Prosocial responding was found across all measures (preintervention) and improvements (pre- to postintervention change) were apparent across most measures. Age and birthplace variables were significant predictors of initial levels and intervention-related change. Initial levels: Regarding age, older children (9-12 years) showed higher levels than younger children (5-8 years) of sharing in the Forced Choice task but lower levels in the DG. Older children also showed higher levels of empathic responding when asked to report how they would feel and respond to another person's misfortune in the Imagine task. Regarding birthplace, prior to the intervention camp-born children showed higher levels than Myanmar-born children of helping in the Origami task and reported more behavioral responses indicating how they would respond to misfortune in the Imagine task. In contrast, Myanmar-born children had higher levels of sharing in the DG and consistently chose equality over inequality in the Forced Choice sharing task, even when their partner would receive more, indicating a pattern of generosity in these children. Myanmar-born children had lower levels than camp-born children on EF measures. Intervention-related change: Regarding age, older but not younger children were more likely to increase choices for equality over inequality on the Forced Choice sharing task following the intervention. Regarding birthplace and helping, camp-born children increased behaviors that helped their partner make origami shapes themselves ("how-to" helping), whereas Myanmar-born children increased behavior that took over folding for their partner ("do-for" helping). For sharing tasks, Myanmar-born but not camp-born children increased sharing in the DG and showed an increased pattern of generosity in Forced Choice sharing task. In the Imagine story task, children born in Myanmar were more likely than those born in camp to increase empathic responding (i.e., imagining how they would feel). Children born in Myanmar showed less improvement on EF measures than children born in the camp. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that in a context of extreme adversity, Rohingya children exhibited prosociality and benefitted from a multifaceted intervention. Our research adds credence to the view that human prosociality is a fundamental characteristic of humanity that not only survives but can be enhanced in even the most adverse of childhood environments. Our multifaceted intervention, which was implemented within a collaborative social context and targeted prosocial behaviors and related cognitive-affective processes, was designed to be easily implemented within existing psychosocial support programs in refugee contexts. As the numbers of children affected by violent conflict and forced migration rise alarmingly worldwide, there is a critical need to expand research partnerships that aim to improve developmental outcomes for these millions of children.

Intergenerational transmission of childhood maltreatment and offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have consistently highlighted that exposure to childhood maltreatment adversely affects the developmental domains of subsequent generations. Little, however, is known about the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment history and adolescent development, as well as the mediator role of offspring childhood maltreatment.

OBJECTIVE

The current study attempts to investigate the mediating role of offspring childhood maltreatment in the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment history and offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence.

METHODS

Participants were 1102 adolescents aged 10-15 years (Mage = 12.14, SD = 1.22) and their mothers (Mage = 39.40, SD = 5.31). Participating adolescents filled out self-report instruments assessing their childhood maltreatment by their mothers, self-esteem, academic performance, loneliness, and prosocial and aggressive behaviors between October 2018 and May 2019. In addition, we collected data from mothers on their childhood maltreatment history.

RESULTS

We analyzed the data through a structural equation model. The findings revealed insignificant direct effects of maternal childhood maltreatment history on offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence. Yet, indirect effects demonstrated that offspring maltreatment by mothers mediated the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment history and offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence. Maternal childhood maltreatment history was significantly associated with offspring maltreatment (β = 0.30; p < .001), which in turn was linked to a higher level of behavioral adjustment problems (β = 0.40; p < .001) and a lower level of competence (β = -0.71; p < .001).

CONCLUSION

The research findings extend our understanding of the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment history and offspring behavioral adjustment problems and competence, identifying the mediating role of offspring maltreatment.

Growth patterns of ingroup and outgroup prosocial behavior in Colombian and Uruguayan adolescents: Examining gratitude and forgiveness as predictors of change

The first goal of the current research was to study the short-term developmental patterns of ingroup and outgroup prosocial behavior during the middle adolescence stage among Uruguayan and Colombian adolescents. The second goal was to study the probability of inclusion in each trajectory class arising from gratitude and forgiveness (understood as the absence of negative emotions and the presence of positive emotions toward an aggressor) while controlling for gender and age. The study included two short-term longitudinal samples from two Latin American countries: Colombia (N = 212, M age = 13.82 years, SD = 1.25) and Uruguay (N = 269, M age = 14.02 years, SD = 1.39). The data were collected at three time points within a 3-month interval. The first finding indicated that different patterns in ingroup and outgroup prosocial behavior in adolescents emerged in both Latin American countries. Moreover, two classes-high and low-were identified in the trajectory of ingroup prosocial behavior, while three different classes-high, moderate, and low-were found in the trajectory of outgroup prosocial behavior in both countries. The results indicated that high levels of gratitude increased the probability that Uruguayan adolescents were included in the group of adolescents with high levels of ingroup prosocial behavior. High levels of positive emotions toward an aggressor (a dimension of forgiveness) increased the probability that a Colombian adolescent belonged to the group of adolescents with high levels of ingroup prosociality. Regarding outgroup prosocial behavior, different predictors were also identified between the countries. The results indicated that high levels of gratitude and positive emotions toward an aggressor increased the probability that Uruguayan adolescents were included in the group of adolescents with high or moderate levels of outgroup prosocial behavior. Only positive emotions toward an aggressor increased the probability that Colombian adolescents were included in the group of adolescents with high or moderate levels of outgroup prosocial behavior.

Unveiling the veil: exploring how wellbeing motivations shape anonymous and public prosocial behavior in Indonesia

Indonesia is often regarded as a country with a strong inclination toward prosocial behavior, with both public and anonymous acts of kindness being commonplace. However, there is a notable gap in related research regarding the predictors of such behaviors. Previous studies have highlighted how individuals with diverse motives for wellbeing are inclined to either assist or hinder others. The present study explored the role of eudaimonic, hedonic, and extrinsic motives for wellbeing in predicting public and anonymous prosocial behavior. Using convenience sampling, 254 Indonesian undergraduate students (18-25 years old) from a private university participated in an online survey. The data were analyzed with correlational design and structural equation modelling. The findings revealed that the eudaimonic motive for wellbeing positively predicted anonymous prosocial behavior. Interestingly, no significant impact of hedonic motives on either public or anonymous prosocial behavior was observed. On the other hand, the extrinsic motive for wellbeing emerged as a positive predictor of public prosocial behavior. The absence of a discernible effect of the hedonic motive on either form of prosocial behavior highlights the need for further research into the complex interplay between motives for well-being and altruistic actions. This research represents a pioneering exploration into the distinct impacts of individuals' pursuit of wellbeing on their approaches to altruistic actions, providing valuable insights for understanding and promoting prosocial behavior in society.

Bidirectional Relationship between Adolescent Gender Egalitarianism and Prosocial Behavior

This study investigates the bidirectional associations between gender egalitarianism and prosocial behavior in adolescents, and the moderating effect of gender in the associations, as well as gender differences and longitudinal changes in both. We recruited 543 Chinese adolescents (284 girls, 259 boys; mean age at Time 1 = 11.27 years) and collected three waves of data measuring gender egalitarianism and prosocial behavior at one-year intervals. According to the results, girls expressed greater gender egalitarianism than boys did; girls reported more prosocial behavior than boys in the sixth grade, but there were no significant gender differences in the seventh and eighth grades. Adolescents' gender egalitarianism stayed stable from the sixth to the seventh grade then increased from the seventh to the eighth grade, and there was a decrease in prosocial behavior from the sixth to the seventh grade. More importantly, the results of the multi-group cross-lagged panel model revealed that adolescents' gender egalitarianism in the previous year positively predicted prosocial behavior in the next year, and vice versa; such bidirectional associations equally applied to boys and girls. These findings add to the knowledge of adolescent gender egalitarianism and prosocial behavior, and the dynamic interplay between the two.

Development of prosocial behavior and inhibitory control in late childhood: A longitudinal exploration of sex differences and reciprocal relations

This study examined longitudinal development of prosocial behavior, assessed by the parent-reported Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire, and inhibitory control, measured by the Opposite Worlds Task, in a sample aged 9 and 12 years (n = 9468, 49.9% girls, 85.8% White) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The goal was to assess whether the level of prosocial behavior at age 9 relates to change in inhibitory control, and vice versa. Sex differences were also explored. Latent change score models showed that low inhibitory control in boys at age 9 was associated with more decreases in prosocial behavior from 9 to 12 years of age. This may suggest that interventions targeting inhibitory control in boys may also foster their social competence.

Mechanisms and pathways linking kindergarten behavior problems with mid-life employment earnings for males from low-income neighborhoods

Childhood behavior problems are associated with reduced labor market participation and lower earnings in adulthood, but little is known about the pathways and mechanisms that explain these associations. Drawing on a 33-year prospective birth cohort of White males from low-income backgrounds (n = 1040), we conducted a path analysis linking participants' teacher-rated behavior problems at age 6 years-that is, inattention, hyperactivity, aggression-opposition, and low prosociality-to employment earnings at age 35-39 years obtained from tax records. We examined three psychosocial mediators at age 11-12 years (academic, behavioral, social) and two mediators at age 25 years (non-high school graduation, criminal convictions). Our findings support the notion that multiple psychosocial pathways-especially low education attainment-link kindergarten behavior problems to lower employment earnings decades later.

Longitudinal relations among perceived parental warmth, self-esteem and social behaviours from middle childhood to early adolescence in China: Disentangling between- and within-person associations

Although several studies have addressed the relations between perceived parental warmth and social behaviours, few have distinguished their between- and within-person effects or explored their within-person mediating mechanisms. This study examined the transactional relations among perceived parental warmth (i.e. maternal warmth and paternal warmth), children's self-esteem and children's positive/negative social behaviours (i.e. prosocial behaviour and delinquent behaviour) along with the mediating role of self-esteem after disentangling between- and within-person effects. A total of 4315 Chinese elementary children (44.9% girls; Mage  = 9.93 years, SD = 0.73) completed relevant measures on four occasions employing 6-month intervals. Results of random-intercept cross-lagged panel models showed that (a) perceived parental warmth reciprocally and positively predicted prosocial behaviour and self-esteem; (b) perceived paternal warmth reciprocally and negatively predicted delinquent behaviour; (c) self-esteem reciprocally predicted prosocial and delinquent behaviour; (d) perceived maternal warmth reciprocally and positively predicted prosocial behaviour through self-esteem; (e) perceived parental warmth reciprocally and negatively predicted delinquent behaviour through self-esteem; and (f) perceived maternal and paternal warmth differed in their relations with prosocial and delinquent behaviours through self-esteem. These findings illuminated the complicated longitudinal within-person interactions among perceived parental warmth, self-esteem, and social behaviours, the specific mediating mechanism of self-esteem, and the differing results associated with perceived maternal and paternal warmth, all of which yield significant implications for assessments and early interventions aimed to promote positive social behaviour.

Emotional and behavioral problems change the development of cerebellar gray matter volume, thickness, and surface area from childhood to adolescence: A longitudinal cohort study

AIMS

Increasing evidence indicates that major neurodevelopmental disorders have potential links to abnormal cerebellar development. However, the developmental trajectories of cerebellar subregions from childhood to adolescence are lacking, and it is not clear how emotional and behavioral problems affect them. We aim to map the developmental trajectories of gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT), and surface area (SA) in cerebellar subregions from childhood to adolescence and examine how emotional and behavioral problems change the cerebellar development trajectory in a longitudinal cohort study.

METHOD

This population-based longitudinal cohort study used data on a representative sample of 695 children. Emotional and behavioral problems were assessed at baseline and at three annual follow-ups with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

RESULTS

Using an innovative automated image segmentation technique, we quantified the GMV, CT, and SA of the whole cerebellum and 24 subdivisions (lobules I-VI, VIIB, VIIIA&B, and IX-X plus crus I-II) with 1319 MRI scans from a large longitudinal sample of 695 subjects aged 6-15 years and mapped their developmental trajectories. We also examined sex differences and found that boys showed more linear growth, while girls showed more nonlinear growth. Boys and girls showed nonlinear growth in the cerebellar subregions; however, girls reached the peak earlier than boys. Further analysis found that emotional and behavioral problems modulated cerebellar development. Specifically, emotional symptoms impede the expansion of the SA of the cerebellar cortex, and no gender differences; conduct problems lead to inadequate cerebellar GMV development only in girls, but not boys; hyperactivity/inattention delays the development of cerebellar GMV and SA, with left cerebellar GMV, right VIIIA GMV and SA in boys and left V GMV and SA in girls; peer problems disrupt CT growth and SA expansion, resulting in delayed GMV development, with bilateral IV, right X CT in boys and right Crus I GMV, left V SA in girls; and prosocial behavior problems impede the expansion of the SA and lead to excessive CT growth, with bilateral IV, V, right VI CT, left cerebellum SA in boys and right Crus I GMV in girls.

CONCLUSIONS

This study maps the developmental trajectories of GMV, CT, and SA in cerebellar subregions from childhood to adolescence. In addition, we provide the first evidence for how emotional and behavioral problems affect the dynamic development of GMV, CT, and SA in the cerebellum, which provides an important basis and guidance for the prevention and intervention of cognitive and emotional behavioral problems in the future.

Does depression affect the association between prosocial behavior and anxiety? A cross-sectional study of students in China

Background

A growing number of studies have suggested that adolescents' prosocial behavior can protect against depression and anxiety. It is known that anxiety and depression are often comorbid. However, it remains unclear if when depression is present, prosocial behavior remains protective against anxiety, and if when anxiety is present, prosocial behavior remains protective against depression. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of anxiety and depressive with prosocial behavior.

Methods

A large representative sample of middle-school students was recruited for a cross-sectional study and completed standardized instruments (the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders-Child version (SCARED-C), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)). We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the protective effect of prosocial behavior against anxiety when depression was present.

Results

A survey of 3,510 students was conducted, and the final analysis included 3,169 students, comprising 1,616 boys (51.0%) and 1,553 girls (49.0%), with a mean age of 13.09 years (SD = 1.31, range 11-16).The prevalence rates of anxiety and depression in early adolescents were 31.6 and 16.7%, respectively. More than two-thirds of depressed adolescents had comorbid anxiety, while more than one-third of anxious adolescents had comorbid depression. Regression models showed that compared with depressed adolescents, adolescents without depressive symptoms exhibited a significant negative correlation between prosocial behaviors and anxiety and depression (β = -0.01, p > 0.01, β = -0.06, p > 0.01; β = -0.11, p < 0.01, and β = -0.17, p < 0.01). There was no difference in the relationship between prosocial behavior and depression between anxious and non-anxious adolescents (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Anxiety and depression are common in adolescence and are often comorbid disorders. However, the comorbidity is not symmetrical. Specifically, the protective effect of prosocial behavior against anxiety is weaker in depressed adolescents. Findings are discussed in light of related research and theory, and insights for intervention programs and future research are presented.

Variability and change in adolescents' prosocial behavior across multiple time scales

We examined variability and change in adolescents' prosocial behaviors directed to peers and friends across four time scales: two-years, one-year, two-monthly, and daily. Data from three longitudinal datasets with a total of 569 adolescents (55.7% girl, M_age  = 15.23, SD = 3.90) were included. The overall time-related stability of prosocial behavior across time scales was moderate to excellent. Variability did not differ between early (age 10-15) and late (age 16-21) adolescence, but late adolescence was associated with higher mean levels of prosociality. Finally, results indicated that prosocial behaviors measured over longer periods (i.e., two-years and one-year) were positively associated with cognitive processes (perspective taking), whereas prosocial behaviors measured over shorter periods (i.e., two-monthly) were positively associated with affective processes (empathy).

Conceptualizing maternal and paternal autonomy support and control among adolescents in Hong Kong

This study examined how parental autonomy support and control are conceptualized by adolescents in Hong Kong (Grades 7-11) using the Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Scale. Competitive models were evaluated using confirmatory factor analyses. Although the 6-factor model demonstrated the best fit, further analyses indicated that a second-order structure was more appropriate. Provision of choice, acknowledgment of child's feelings, rationale for rules, and demands subsumed under autonomy support. Guilt-inducing criticisms and the use of threats subsumed under control. Performance pressure emerged as a first-order construct on its own. Measurement invariance was evident across adolescent gender and age. All subscales had adequate to strong reliability. Discriminate validity was evident. Findings offer insights into the conceptualization of autonomy support and control in Hong Kong.

The Associations between Self-Silencing and Delinquency in Adolescent Who Experienced Child Sexual Abuse

A large body of research reveals that child sexual abuse is an adverse experience associated with many negative socioemotional and behavioral consequences during adolescence. Notably, adolescent victims of child sexual abuse are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior, which has importance for their adaptation later in life. While research on the psychological antecedents of delinquent behavior has independently considered each core feature of silencing the self (i.e., low assertiveness and self-expression, conflict avoidance, presenting a non-authentic self, anger, and hostility), it has failed to jointly consider these as potential predictors of delinquent behaviors in adolescent victims of child sexual abuse. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between the two dimensions of self-silencing (i.e., divided self and silencing the self) and delinquency in adolescent victims of child sexual abuse. A sample of 110 adolescents seeking services following child sexual abuse completed self-reported questionnaires, and case files were analyzed to gather information regarding child sexual abuse severity. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, after controlling for the effect of age, gender, parental monitoring, and child sexual abuse severity, self-silencing was positively associated with delinquent behaviors, affiliation with delinquent peers, as well as alcohol and drug use. Divided self contributed to the prediction of aggressive behaviors. Implementing interventions aimed at increasing adolescents' assertiveness, conflict management skills, and emotion regulation and promoting congruence between their behaviors and authentic selves may lower their involvement in delinquency.

Measurement of Prosocial Tendencies: Meta-Analysis of the Generalization of the Reliability of the Instrument

The Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM) and its revised version (PTM-R) are used internationally to measure prosocial behaviors in different life situations. To obtain accumulated evidence of the report and the reliability of its scores, a meta-analysis of the reliability of internal consistency was performed. The databases of Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus were reviewed and all the studies that applied it from 2002 to 2021 were selected. Results: Only 47.9% of the studies presented the index of reliability of PTM and PTM-R. The meta-analytic results of the reliability report of the subscales that the PTM and the PTM-R have in common were: Public 0.78 (95% CI: 0.76-0.80), Anonymous 0.80 (95% CI: 0.79-0.82), Dire 0.74 (95% CI: 0.71-0.76), and Compliant 0.71 (95% CI: 0.72-0.78). Each one of them presents high levels of heterogeneity derived from the gender of the participants (percentage of women), the continent of the population, the validation design, the incentive to participate, and the form of application. It is concluded that both versions present acceptable reliabilities to measure prosocial behavior in different groups and situations, as adolescents and young people, but their clinical use is discouraged.

Effect of prosocial behavior on school bullying victimization among children and adolescents: Peer and student-teacher relationships as mediators

INTRODUCTION

In this study, we examined the relationship between prosocial behavior and school bullying victimization in children and adolescents. We also tested the mediating effects of peer alienation and student-teacher closeness, as well as the moderating effect of the educational stage.

METHODS

In total, 538 children and adolescents were recruited from three suburban schools in Beijing, China (252 boys, 286 girls; mean age = 12.47; 237 elementary school students, 101 middle school students, and 200 high school students). The participants were asked to complete the measures of prosocial behavior, peer alienation, and student-teacher closeness at the initial time point and reported school bullying victimization 3 months later.

RESULTS

We found that prosocial behavior was directly and negatively associated with traditional bullying victimization (i.e., physical, nonphysical, and relational); however, it had no direct association with cyberbullying victimization. Prosocial behavior was indirectly associated with school bullying victimization (except in the relational dimension) via peer alienation, but no indirect effect of student-teacher closeness was found. Besides, the associations between prosocial behavior, peer alienation, student-teacher closeness, and bullying victimization were found equally among elementary, middle, and high school students.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that prosocial behavior is an important factor associated with decreased school bullying victimization, and peer relationships play a mediating role in this association. Our study extends the current understanding of prosocial behavior primarily as a consequence of child and adolescent development to an antecedent (of school bullying victimization), which contributes to a more comprehensive view of prosocial behavior.

A preliminary investigation of psychometric properties of the youth-reported Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-Y) in Chinese elementary, middle, and high schools

The current study validated the youth-reported Pediatric Symptom Checklist-Youth (PSC-Y) using a Chinese youth sample (N = 20,996). The factor structure, measurement invariance, and criterion validity were examined. First, factor analysis documented that the correlated three-factor structure, including externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and attention problems fit the data best, which aligns with the prior factor structure of the PSC-Y in other settings (e.g., teacher ratings). In addition, measurement invariance was established across gender and age groups. The latent mean differences revealed that middle and high school students and females reported more internalizing and attention problems than elementary students and males. Additionally, high school students and females were less likely to report externalizing problems than elementary students and males. Finally, the criterion validity of the PSC-Y was established using external scales assessing subjective wellbeing and prosocial behavior. Teachers, school administrators, and school psychologists can utilize the results of this study to more precisely identify youth at risk for psychosocial problems.

Behavioural and Emotional difficulties in School children during COVID 19 pandemic using narrowband dimensions of SDQ: Online survey from North? East India

BACKGROUND

Containment strategies such as lockdown during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have forced home confinement of many children. Data on psychological difficulties in children during lockdown are scarce from this part of the country.

AIM

The aim of the study is to describe the burden and pattern of behavioral and emotional problems of schoolchildren during COVID-19 lockdown in a small town from Northeastern India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Caregivers of children (4-17 years old) attending English medium schools of the town were invited to participate in the study. A descriptive cross-sectional online survey using purposive nonprobability sampling was conducted between August and September 2020. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to measure behavioral and emotional difficulties of children. Responses were based on child's behaviors over the last 6 months which coincided with the ongoing lockdown period in the region.

RESULTS

A total of 304 responses were received, among which 242 were considered for analysis. The parent-reported SDQ showed 23.1% of children having emotional or behavioral problems during the COVID-19 lockdown. Peer problems (43.4%) were the most common, followed by conduct problems (25.6%), emotional problems (23.1%), and hyperactivity (11.1%). Type of family (nuclear/joint/extended) was significantly associated with total difficulties (χ² = 6.608, P = 0.03), conduct problems (χ² = 8.492, P = 0.01), and hyperactivity (χ² = 5.908, P = 0.05). Socioeconomic status of the family was associated with hyperactivity (χ² = 8.755, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Significant number of children have behavioral and emotional difficulties during COVID-19 lockdown period.

"Be Kind But Not Too Kind": Black Males' Prosocial Behaviors in the Face of Dehumanization

This qualitative study examined how adolescent Black males (N = 12) talk about their identities, prosocial behaviors, and connections between them. Of special interest was whether and how the participants included their experiences of dehumanization. Focus group data were analyzed using modified analytic induction. Participants felt good about their racially gendered identities but felt they occupied a precarious position in the United States. Participants' beliefs about how others viewed them motivated restraint from engaging in too many prosocial acts to prevent appearing vulnerable. Participants explicitly referred to their experience of oppression in these discussions and its interaction with identity and prosociality. Results suggest research must consider how macro-level processes like racism influence the identities and prosocial behaviors of adolescent Black males.

Prosocial Behavior and Aggression in the Daily School Lives of Early Adolescents

Research has not adequately addressed a possible mutual co-regulatory influence of prosocial and aggressive behaviors in adolescents' daily lives. This study explored bidirectional within-person associations between prosocial and aggressive behaviors in the daily school lives of early adolescents. The sample included 242 sixth-graders [M_age = 11.96 (SD = 0.18), 50% girls] and their teachers. Adolescents reported on daily prosocial behavior and reactive and proactive aggression for ten consecutive days. Teachers and adolescents reported on adolescents' overall prosocial behaviors. Across-day prosocial behaviors increased after days when adolescents exhibited more reactive aggression but not among self-reported low-prosocial adolescents. Increased prosocial behaviors did not mitigate aggression the next day. The findings suggest prosocial behaviors are a plausible compensatory strategy after daily aggressive reactions.

Is prosocial behaviour a missing link between green space quality and child health-related outcomes?

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate prosocial behaviour-those behaviours that benefit others or enhance relationships with others-as a mediator of the associations between green space quality and child health-related outcomes (physical activity, mental health, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL)).

METHODS

This study involved data from 4983 children with 10-year follow-up (2004-2014) retrieved from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Green space quality (the exposure), prosocial behaviour (the candidate mediator), and child health-related outcomes were assessed biennially based on caregiver reports. Causal mediation analysis was used, with four mediation models developed for each outcome.

RESULTS

Mediation by prosocial behaviour appeared in the late childhood mediation model with higher mediation proportions reported compared to models of earlier and middle childhood. Prosocial behaviour had moderate mediation consistency for the association between green space quality and physical activity enjoyment, but no mediation was evident for other physical activity variables. Prosocial behaviour had low mediation consistency for child mental health (internalising and externalising subscales). Similarly, low mediation consistency of prosocial behaviour was also evident for all HRQOL variables, such as physical, emotional, social, school functioning, psychosocial health, and total quality of life (QOL).

CONCLUSION

Prosocial behaviour partially mediated the association between green space quality and child health-related outcomes (physical activity enjoyment, mental health, and HRQOL). Improving the quality of neighbourhood green space that supports the development of prosocial behaviour may result in better child health-related outcomes. Other physical activity variables might not specifically relate to social interactions, and therefore, no mediation by prosocial behaviour was apparent.

Facilitating the prosocial development of Rohingya refugee children

Prosociality is essential for the success of human societies. Children's prosocial development is found to increase in contexts that foster collaboration or emotion perspective taking and is negatively affected by exposure to extreme psychosocial trauma and adversity. Based on these findings, we assessed the effect of collaboration and emotion perspective taking on three types of prosocial behavior-helping, sharing, and comforting-in Rohingya children living in a refugee settlement in India (N = 122; age range = 4-11 years). Half of the children were born in Myanmar (i.e., experienced forced migration from genocide), and half were born in the refugee settlement after their families left Myanmar. We also included a small sample of Rohingya Canadian children (N = 20; age range = 3-12 years) as a within-culture comparison of overall levels of prosocial responding, which were higher in this group relative to children in a refugee settlement. We assigned children in the refugee settlement to one of three conditions-Collaboration, Emotion Perspective Taking (intervention conditions), or Drawing (control condition)-and assessed the three types of prosocial responding following the intervention. Prosocial responding was highest after Collaboration for children born in the refugee settlement and was highest after Emotion Perspective Taking for children born in Myanmar. Overall, these findings point to the potential prosocial benefit in refugee contexts for intervention programs that are responsive to children's lived experience.

Does affirming children's autonomy and prosocial intentions help? A microtrial into intervention component effects to improve psychosocial behavior

Prior research has related children's prosocial behavior to overall well-being, and stimulating prosocial behavior is the aim of many social-emotional skills interventions. This study assessed if affirming children's autonomy stimulates their psychosocial behavior. We conducted a three-arm microtrial with four repeated measures to assess if a social-emotional skills intervention with an autonomy affirmation component had an additive effect on children's behavior as compared to a "regular" intervention focused exclusively on teaching social-emotional skills and a no-treatment control condition. Our sample consisted of 779 children in Grades 4-6 (M_age = 10.61, SD = 0.93). Findings from latent change modeling demonstrated that the social-emotional skills intervention with an autonomy affirmation component yielded superior effects as compared to the "regular" intervention and the no-treatment control condition on the improvement of internalizing and externalizing problem behavior in the three-month period after the intervention. The intervention with autonomy affirmation did not yield superior effects on prosociality and social skills, self-efficacy, and self-esteem or self-perceived competence. The absence of these effects may be attributed to the dosage of the interventions implemented-the affirmation of children's autonomy may require more than four sessions to sort observable effects. Overall, however, the findings of this study provide an initial suggestion that it may be beneficial to affirm children's autonomy and prosocial intentions when enhancing children's behavior.

Validation of the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) Scale in a Sample of Italian Students

This study aimed to further validate the self-reported version of the Proposed Specifiers Conduct Disorder (PSCD) scale, testing the associations between the PSCD with a scale that measures emotional/behavioral difficulties and prosocial behaviors (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ). A total of 536 Italian students (47.76% male; 11-14 years) completed the PSCD, while their caregivers and teachers completed the SDQ. A series of confirmatory factor analyses to test the best fitting model were run. The internal consistency of the PSCD was evaluated, and the correlations between the PSCD self-reported scores and SDQ Parent and Teacher report scores were examined. A bi-factor model was fitted with a refined 19-item version of the scale, which showed adequate fit indices. The PSCD total score was strongly associated with higher parent- and teacher-rated conduct problems, hyperactivity, and lower prosocial behavioral symptoms. In conclusion, this study indicated that the self-report PSCD shows preliminary promise as a reliable, easy-to-use tool, for measuring psychopathic traits in Italian children and young adolescents.

Validation of the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) Scale in a Sample of Italian Students

This study aimed to further validate the self-reported version of the Proposed Specifiers Conduct Disorder (PSCD) scale, testing the associations between the PSCD with a scale that measures emotional/behavioral difficulties and prosocial behaviors (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ). A total of 536 Italian students (47.76% male; 11-14 years) completed the PSCD, while their caregivers and teachers completed the SDQ. A series of confirmatory factor analyses to test the best fitting model were run. The internal consistency of the PSCD was evaluated, and the correlations between the PSCD self-reported scores and SDQ Parent and Teacher report scores were examined. A bi-factor model was fitted with a refined 19-item version of the scale, which showed adequate fit indices. The PSCD total score was strongly associated with higher parent- and teacher-rated conduct problems, hyperactivity, and lower prosocial behavioral symptoms. In conclusion, this study indicated that the self-report PSCD shows preliminary promise as a reliable, easy-to-use tool, for measuring psychopathic traits in Italian children and young adolescents.

Longitudinal Associations Between Prosociality and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Children: The Mediating Role of Peer Preference

Despite empirical findings that prosociality is related to decreased depressive symptoms in children, little is known about the directionality of the relations and the mechanisms that may explain the relations. To address these gaps, this study examined bi-directional associations between prosociality and depressive symptoms and the mediating effects of peer preference on the associations in Chinese children. Multi-wave longitudinal data were collected each year from Grades 3 to 6 in a sample of children in China (initial N = 1012; 51.6% girls; initial M_age = 8.68 years). The results showed that prosociality and depression negatively contributed to each other over time. Prosociality also predicted increased peer preference, which in turn contributed to fewer depressive symptoms, suggesting that peer preference was a mediator of the contributions of prosociality to depressive symptoms. These findings indicate the temporal ordering of prosociality and depressive symptoms and the processes in the development of depressive symptoms in Chinese children.

Development of Social Skills in Kindergarten: A Latent Class Growth Modeling Approach

Social skills acquired during early childhood are often the foundation for success later in life. Using a nationwide survey dataset in Japan, this study aims to explore the multiple growth trajectories of social skills among children in kindergarten by using a latent class growth modeling approach. It also examines whether, and to what extent, the home-rearing environment at early age predict trajectories of social skills development. Children in this study were assessed on social skills at three waves, four home-rearing environment dimensions (human stimulation, social stimulation, avoidance of punishment, and social support for parenting) and demographic background were measured at wave 1. The results indicated that three distinct growth trajectories of social skills existed during kindergarten: high increase levels, moderate increase levels, and decreased levels. The avoidance of punishment and children's gender significantly predicted the growth trajectories of social skills. Thus, the results suggest that more attention should be paid to the home-rearing environment and boys.

One Year Follow Up Efficacy of the Coping Power Universal and Its Relations with Teachers' Occupational Stress

The coping power universal (CPU) is an evidence-based universal prevention program delivered by teachers, and completely integrated into the school agenda. Previous studies have shown its positive effects, though little is known about its longer-term effects, and no previous study has explored whether teachers’ occupational stress could influence the CPU efficacy. The current study aimed to explore the 1 year follow up of the CPU on students’ externalizing and internalizing problems and prosocial behavior, and the influence of baseline levels of teachers’ stress in a sample of 316 3rd graders and their teachers (N = 32). Results showed that the CPU led to positive effects, not attainable with the standard curriculum. Additionally, improvements in prosocial behavior persisted even one year after the conclusion of the program. However, improvements in internalizing and externalizing problems were not maintained at the follow up, highlighting the need to understand the factors influencing the CPU efficacy. In this regard, our findings showed that high levels of teachers’ occupational stress predicted poorer improvements following the CPU, and an increase in students’ difficulties at the follow-up assessment. Addressing teachers’ stress as part of prevention programs for students could boost their efficacy and yield more lasting results.

Neonatal DNA methylation and childhood low prosocial behavior: An epigenome-wide association meta-analysis

Low prosocial behavior in childhood has been consistently linked to later psychopathology, with evidence supporting the influence of both genetic and environmental factors on its development. Although neonatal DNA methylation (DNAm) has been found to prospectively associate with a range of psychological traits in childhood, its potential role in prosocial development has yet to be investigated. This study investigated prospective associations between cord blood DNAm at birth and low prosocial behavior within and across four longitudinal birth cohorts from the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium. We examined (a) developmental trajectories of "chronic-low" versus "typical" prosocial behavior across childhood in a case-control design (N = 2,095), and (b) continuous "low prosocial" scores at comparable cross-cohort time-points (N = 2,121). Meta-analyses were performed to examine differentially methylated positions and regions. At the cohort-specific level, three CpGs were found to associate with chronic low prosocial behavior; however, none of these associations was replicated in another cohort. Meta-analysis revealed no epigenome-wide significant CpGs or regions. Overall, we found no evidence for associations between DNAm patterns at birth and low prosocial behavior across childhood. Findings highlight the importance of employing multi-cohort approaches to replicate epigenetic associations and reduce the risk of false positive discoveries.

Association between green space quality and prosocial behaviour: A 10-year multilevel longitudinal analysis of Australian children

BACKGROUND

Current evidence from studies on green space and child prosocial behaviour suggests a paucity of studies investigating the plausible role of green space quality in shaping the development of prosocial behaviour. This study aimed to examine longitudinal association between green space quality and prosocial behaviour among children.

METHODS

We analysed 10-year longitudinal data (2004-2014) from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a nationally representative cohort study. Prosocial behaviour that covers positive behaviours (e.g. sharing, helping) was measured using a prosocial scale from Goodman's Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Parents' perceptions on the availability of "good" parks, playgrounds, and play space in the neighbourhood assessed green space quality. Multilevel linear regression models were used to examine potential changes in prosocial behaviour across childhood in relation to green space quality. A two-way interaction term between green space and age was fitted to assess potential differences in the effect of green space quality by age. Sensitivity analyses by child's sex and history of residential movement were also performed.

RESULTS

From the analysis of 24,418 observations nested in 4969 children, prosocial behaviour was relatively high (mean = 8.13 out of 10; SD = 1.79) and about balanced proportions between girls (48.74%) and boys (51.26%) were included. Prosocial behaviour was higher among children whose parents agreed (β = 0.10; 95%CI = 0.04, 0.16) and strongly agreed (β = 0.20; 95%CI = 0.13, 0.27) to having quality green space in their neighbourhood. The benefit of exposure to favourable green space on prosocial behaviour was similar among both children who changed and did not change neighbourhood, but reported higher among boys than girls. Younger compared with older children or adolescents tended to benefit more by the presence of quality green space.

CONCLUSION

Green space quality was positively associated with child prosocial behaviour. Boys and younger children tended to benefit more from quality green space. Future research might seek to identify preferred characteristics of quality green spaces, and to understand how these preferences vary by gender and age, to best support the development of prosocial behaviour across childhood and adolescence.

Effectiveness of Group vs. Individual Therapy to Decrease Peer Problems and Increase Prosociality in Children

Emotional difficulties in children are often shown to be associated with peer problems and low prosocial behaviors. Super Skills for Life (SSL) is a transdiagnostic protocol for the prevention of emotional problems in children and has also obtained improvements of other comorbid symptoms. This study aimed at comparing the effects of SSL in reducing peer problems and increasing prosocial behaviors in children aged 8 to 12 years between the group and the individual modalities. For this purpose, 140 children (35% girls) received the program, 70 in group format and 70 in individual format, and were evaluated at the baseline, posttest, and after one year. Both modalities were effective in enhancing social relationships in children, although the individual modality showed more promising results. Children belonging to the individual modality group presented fewer peer problems (less social isolation and rejection, greater social acceptance, more friends) and greater prosocial behaviors (helping, empathy, kindness, and sharing) compared to children receiving the therapy in group modality, both in the short and in the long term. In conclusion, this study provides evidence of SSL protocol efficacy for improving children’s peer relationships and prosocial behaviors and encourages the implementation of transdiagnostic interventions in both clinical and educational settings.

Depression in Children and Adolescents on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Associations with Resilience and Prosocial Behavior

Depression in children and adolescents has become a serious public health problem worldwide. The objectives of this study were twofold: first, to investigate the status of depression among children and adolescents on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the highest plateau in the world, with an average altitude of more than 4200 m (13,776 feet), and second, to examine the associations among prosocial behavior, resilience, and depression. A cross-sectional study was conducted among children and adolescents from Yushu Prefecture on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A total of 11,160 participants aged 10–17 years (M_age = 14.34 years, SD = 1.77; 51.4% girls) were included. Self-reported depression, resilience, and prosocial behavior were assessed. The prevalence of depression was 29.2% in the current study. Higher levels of prosocial behavior were significantly associated with lower levels of depression (β = −0.25, p < 0.001). Furthermore, resilience significantly moderated the relationship between prosocial behavior and depression (β = −0.08, p < 0.001); that is, resilience enhanced the protective role of prosocial behavior in depression. These findings indicate that resilience may play an important role in the associations between prosocial behavior and depression, which suggests that improving resilience is essential for the prevention and intervention of depression among children and adolescents on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Co-occurring Trajectories of Direct Aggression and Prosocial Behaviors in Childhood: Longitudinal Associations With Peer Acceptance

This study examined the longitudinal associations among children’s direct (physical and verbal) aggression, prosocial behaviors, and peer group acceptance in middle childhood (Grades 1 to 4). Children’s co-occurring aggressive and prosocial behaviors were assessed in order to identify distinct trajectory subgroups. Subsequently, variations in the development (i.e., continuity and changes) in peer acceptance were examined for each of the identified subgroups. The sample consisted of 784 children who were ethnically and socioeconomically diverse (47% girls, 37.4% Latino or Hispanic, 34.1% European American, and 23.2% African American; about 65% low SES) who were followed longitudinally from Grades 1 to 4 (M_age = 6.57 years old in Grade 1). Results revealed several distinct trajectory subgroups, including children who were primarily aggressive or prosocial, as well as children who exhibited co-occurring aggression and prosocial behaviors. Comparing these subgroups, the use of co-occurring prosocial behaviors appeared to have some protective effect on aggressive children’s peer acceptance. However, aggression was nonetheless associated with lower peer acceptance. The findings provide insights pertaining to the heterogeneity among aggressive children, the protective effects of prosocial behaviors on peer acceptance, and the differential effects of moderate versus high aggression.

Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial that Altruism Moderates the Effect of Prosocial Acts on Adolescent Well-being

Despite growing public and scientific interest in the positive benefits of prosociality, there has been little research on the causal effects of performing kind acts for others on psychological well-being during adolescence. Developmental changes during adolescence, such as greater perspective taking, can promote prosociality. It was hypothesized that performing kind acts for others would improve adolescent well-being (positive and negative affect, perceived stress) and increase prosocial giving. As part of a randomized controlled trial, 97 adolescents (M_age= 16.224, SD = 0.816, range 14-17; 53.608% female) were assigned to either perform kind acts for others (Kindness to Others, N = 33), perform kind acts for themselves (Kindness to Self, N = 34), or report on daily activities (Daily Report, N = 30) three times per week for four weeks. Well-being factors were measured weekly and giving was tested post-intervention. Overall, changes over time in well-being did not differ across conditions. However, altruism emerged as a significant moderator such that altruistic adolescents in the Kindness to Others condition showed increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and decreased stress. Increased positive affect was also linked to greater prosocial giving for Kindness to Others adolescents. These findings identify individual differences that may shape the effects of doing kind acts for others on well-being during adolescence.

Social Capital and Prosocial Behavior among German Children

A robust literature connects children’s and adolescents’ social capital to a range of desirable outcomes, including increased academic achievement and decreased delinquency. We extend this research by extending possible associations with child social capital to positive behaviors, measured here as prosocial behaviors. We examine data on 6th graders in Germany. We select the German context in part because one important source of child social capital, participation in religious congregations, is not as prevalent in modern Germany as in the US samples from which many social capital studies are derived. We use data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) and measures of child social capital, including parent–child interactions, family activities, and religious participation, to predict prosocial behavior. Results indicate that social capital in the form of parent-child interactions in the home and child religiosity is associated weakly with greater prosocial behavior. These results suggest that adults can help children develop stronger prosocial norms by increasing interaction with their children and by exposing their children to network ties in religious settings, but also that social capital can be derived different ways in different contexts.

Reparative Prosocial Behavior Difficulties across Childhood Predict Poorer Social Functioning and Depression in Adolescence

Difficulty using reparative behaviors (i.e., prosocial behaviors that individuals use after they have transgressed to cause another's distress) has been concurrently associated with poorer social functioning and both internalizing and externalizing disorders in children and adults. Despite these associations, no study has examined social and psychological outcomes of children who display consistently low levels of reparative behaviors across childhood. This study used established developmental trajectories of reparative behaviors that span preschool through early adolescence (low-stable, moderate-stable, and high-stable) to predict social and psychological outcomes in adolescence (N = 129). Membership in trajectories characterized by lower levels of reparative behaviors predicted greater social rejection, social withdrawal, aggression, and symptoms of depression in adolescence, even when controlling for baseline levels of each outcome. Membership in the low-stable reparative trajectory also significantly mediated the relationship between high levels of guilt in preschool and greater depression severity in adolescence. Findings suggest that children who display persistently low levels of reparative behaviors may be at-risk for a variety of poorer social and emotional outcomes. Further, preschoolers who display both high levels of guilt and low levels of reparative behaviors may be at particularly high risk for depression recurrence in adolescence. Thus, interventions that teach young children reparative skills and/or promote approach rather than avoidance after transgressions may have important implications for preventing a wide range of poorer social and emotional outcomes in adolescence.

Longitudinal Relations among Maternal Self-Efficacy, Maternal Warmth, and Early Adolescents' Prosocial Behavior

OBJECTIVE

This article examined two-wave longitudinal paths among maternal self-efficacy, maternal warmth, and early adolescents' prosocial behavior.

DESIGN

Participants were 194 Italian mother/child dyads from 9-13 years at the first assessment and 12-15 years at the second assessment. Using a two-wave longitudinal design, the present study tested cross-lagged paths among maternal self-efficacy, warmth, and early adolescents' prosocial behavior controlling for the stability of these variables and their concurrent associations.

RESULTS

Maternal warmth mediated the link between maternal self-efficacy and adolescents' prosocial behavior, and bi-directional effects between maternal self-efficacy and maternal warmth were found.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support a parent-driven model in the promotion of prosocial behaviors across early adolescence and a general need to consider simultaneously parental cognitions (maternal self-efficacy) and actions (maternal warmth) in explaining adolescents' prosocial behaviors. Implications for parenting program interventions are discussed.

Association of prosocial behavior with ever smoking and alcohol drinking among school-going adolescents

BACKGROUND

Smoking and consuming alcohol remain hazardous acts to health, which are important to prevent in adolescents. Prosocial behavior has increasingly being noticed to be related with substance use. This study investigated the association between the trying of smoking and alcohol with prosocial behavior among school-going adolescents in Terengganu, Malaysia.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 732 school adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years from 12 secondary schools in Terengganu. Cluster sampling was applied. A validated questionnaire adopted from Global Health School Survey (GSHS) was used and prosocial behavior was assessed using the validated Malay self-rated version of Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS ver25, using multiple logistic regressions for both dependent variables of ever smoking and ever alcohol drinking.

RESULTS

Ever smoking was significantly inversely associated with prosocial behavior (p = 0.010, OR: 0.84, CI: 0.74, 0.96); together with other significantly associated factors; namely older age, male gender, poorer family income, and smoking in immediate family members. However, there was no association of the between prosocial behavior with ever alcohol drinking (p = 0.628).

CONCLUSION

Prosocial behavior is negatively associated with the trying of smoking in adolescents. Future longitudinal study should be done to investigate the effects of promoting prosocial behavior among adolescents towards the hazardous act.

Receiving Prosocial Behavior: Examining the Reciprocal Associations between Positive Peer Treatment and Psychosocial and Behavioral Outcomes

This study investigates the prospective and reciprocal associations between positive peer treatment and psychosocial (popularity, preference, psychological distress) and behavioral (prosocial behavior) outcomes during early adolescence. Participants were 270 young adolescents (52% boys; M_age  = 11.84 years) who completed peer nomination and self-report measures as part of a 7-month longitudinal study (Wave 1; Feb. Grade 6; Wave 2: May, Grade 6; Wave 3: Sept., Grade 7). Cross-lagged autoregressive path models revealed reciprocal associations between positive peer treatment and prosocial behavior, such that Wave 1 positive peer treatment predicted increases in Wave 2 prosocial behavior and vice versa. Findings are novel, highlight the importance of considering positive peer treatment during adolescence, and set the stage for future work in this area.