Making Meaning From Money: Subjective Social Status and Young Children’s Behavior Problems

Understanding the impact of the family's socioeconomic status on child behavior has important implications for minimizing problem behavior. This study investigated how parents’ reports of subjective social status (how parents rated their own social status) and objective indicators of socioeconomic status (e.g., employment) affected parental mental health and children's behavioral problems. The findings indicated that parental stress was related to their employment status and education levels. In addition, higher stress in parents was associated with more behavior problems in children.