Abstract

Child behavioral issues, including internalizing and externalizing symptoms, are brought on by a variety of factors in the early stages of development and are strongly linked to negative outcomes in later stages, such as mental health issues, poor academic performance, and peer victimization. Because children in these developmental stages are able to explicitly and overtly express their feelings and experiences, a large number of empirical studies have investigated behavioral issues in late childhood and adolescence. However, there have been fewer studies that have focused on internalizing and externalizing symptoms in early childhood (before age 5), which is also a crucial developmental stage that can influence later developmental outcomes.