Emotional and behavioral problems, social competence and risk factors in 6-16-year-old students in Beijing, China

Introduction Child emotional or behavioral problems and insufficient social development has been a heavy burden on family and society. However, currently large-scale studies on emotional and behavioral problems as well as social competence among school children in China are still lacking. This cross-sectional study analyzed the current status and risk factors of behavioral problems and social competences in Beijing students. Method A total of 9,295 students, with ages ranging from 6 to 16 years old, were enrolled in the study. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to screen emotional and behavioral problems, social competences of students. We then assessed significant predictors factors associated with children behavioral problems and social competences. Results The total detection rate of behavioral problems of this cohort was 16.7%. All kinds of social competence scores of boys were lower than girls (P