Development and Psychopathology, 7 (1995), 481-498 Copyright © 1995 Cambridge University Press Printed in the United States of America Childhood internalizing problems: Prediction from kindergarten, effect of maternal overprotectiveness, and sex differences FRANCOIS BOWEN," FRANK VITARO," MARGARET KERR," AND DANIEL PELLETIER 6 "University of Montreal; and b University of Quebec in Hull Abstract Research on the development of childhood internalizing problems has largely failed to consider that there may be different developmental paths for boys and girls. Additionally, studies have begun with elementary school children who are well beyond their first social experiences. This study follows 144 boys and 125 girls from kindergarten (for most children the time of first social experiences) to fifth grade. We identify the best predictors of fifth grade internalizing problems from kindergarten measure of anxiety-withdrawal, shyness, adaptability, and popularity. We also test whether maternal overprotectiveness moderates the link between kindergarten predictors and fifth-grade internalizing problems. Throughout, we consider boys and girls separately. Peer-rated unpopularity was the best predictor of later problems for both boys and girls, followed by peer-rated shyness for boys and teacher-rated anxiety-withdrawal for girls. Maternal overprotectiveness was more important for boys than girls. For boys overprotectiveness reduced the predictive link between some kindergarten variables and some fifth-grade outcomes; for girls overprotectiveness did not significantly moderate the predictive link. We discuss the advantages of different perspectives (peers, teachers, and mothers) for predicting internalizing problems. We also discuss the roles of early temperament, early social experience, and maternal overprotectiveness versus close temporal experience in developing internalizing problems. Internalizing problems and externalizing problems represent two distinct dimensions of interest in developmental psychopathol- ogy. Internalizing problems include low self-esteem or low self-worth, loneliness, This research was supported by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, from Quebec's Health Research Fund (FRSQ), and from University du Quebec a Hull's Research Fund. We thank the authorities and directors of the schools from Val d'Or School Board as well as the kindergarten and fifth-grade teachers, children, and their parents for their collaboration. We also thank Daniel Corri- veau, Roger Paradis, Hdlene Boileau, and Bernard Boulericc for their participation in the data collection or analysis, and Dr. Wendy Craig and Marie-Blanche Lalibcrtd for the revision of the manuscript. Finally, anxiety, and depression, whereas external- izing problems include hyperactivity, ag- gression, and delinquency. Most longitudi- nal studies have focused primarily on the etiology of externalizing behaviors. How- ever, recently, a number of studies have ad- dressed issues related to the prediction and development of internalizing difficulties during childhood and adolescence (Hymel, we thank the three anonymous reviewers for their help- ful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Francois Bowen, Faculty of the Science of Education, Department of Psychopcdagogy and Andragogy, Uni- versite of Montreal, P.O. Box 6128, Branch Centre- Villc, Montreal (Quebec) H3C 3J7, Canada. 481