Some children have difficulty with emotions, behavior, concentration, or ability to get along with others. Parents of children with socio-emotional difficulties were asked about the degree of “burden” their child’s condition puts on the family: a great deal, a medium amount, a little, or not at all. Overall, the families of 28 percent of children with socioemotional issues are affected moderately or a great deal. Families of children in urban and small rural areas are approximately equally likely to be affected moderately or a great deal (27.9 and 28.8 percent, respectively).

In general, boys’ socio-emotional difficulties are more likely to impact their families moderately or a great deal than those of girls. Within each sex, there is slight variability across locations: among males, impact on the family is most likely to occur in small rural areas (31.0 percent) and least likely to occur in urban areas (28.1 percent); among girls, impact is most likely to occur in urban areas (27.5 percent) and least likely to occur in large rural areas (24.4 percent).

As with sex, there is slight variability in the impact of socio-emotional issues on the family across location within different age groups. In general, impact is more common as age increases. Among the youngest children, impact on the family is most likely to occur in large rural areas (25.6 percent) and least likely to occur in urban areas (21.6 percent); the same is true among 6- to 11- year-olds. Among children ages 12-17, impact is most likely to occur in small rural areas (33.5 percent) and least likely to occur in large rural areas (31.3 percent).