Chandrasekaran Prasanth and Narayanan Annalakshmi
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
The present study is aimed at examining the association between the internalizing and
externalizing problems on the one hand and socio-demographic variables on the other
using a sample of 490 (M=267, and F=223) at-risk rural adolescents aged between
11-14 years. The sample was recruited from four rural government schools located in
Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. The data were collected using the Youth Self Report that
provided measures of internalizing and externalizing problems of the adolescents. The
socio-demographic details chosen for the study were collected using personal data sheet.
ANOVAand correlation analysis was carried out to analyze the data. The findings show
that males had higher levels of externalizing problems compared to females. Students
in Class 8 had higher internalizing problems compared to those in Class 7. Significant
differences between the schools included in the study with regard to both internalizing
and externalizing problems were found. Those with fathers who were illiterates had
greater internalizing problems compared to those whose fathers had middle school
level education. Mother’s monthly income was significantly and positively correlated
with internalizing problems. Family’s monthly income was significantly and positively
correlated with both internalizing and externalizing problems. Academic performance
was significantly and positively correlated with externalizing problems in the sample.
Factors like age, native place and mother tongue, area of residence, community, religion,
father’s occupation and income, mother’s education, and occupation, and home were
not significantly related to internalizing and externalizing
.