ABSTRACT

THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO ANALYSE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE INTERNALISING PROBLEMS INCLUDING ANXIOUS/DEPRESSED, WITHDRAWN-DEPRESSED AND SOMATIC COMPLAINTS, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PARENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. CONSIDERING VARYING LEVELS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, THE GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE LEVEL OF INTERNALISING PROBLEMS WILL ALSO BE EXAMINED. FINALLY, WE ANALYSED THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF PARENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ACCORDING TO INTERNALISING PROBLEMS. THE ACHENBACH SYSTEM OF EMPIRICALLY BASED ASSESSMENT (ASEBA) WAS USED FOR DATA COLLECTION IN MACAO. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 698 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (316 MALES AND 382 FEMALES). THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN INTERNALISING PROBLEMS ACCORDING TO THREE LEVELS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (LOW, AVERAGE AND HIGH) FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PARENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. FURTHERMORE, FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES, ADOLESCENT FEMALES PRESENT MORE INTERESTING PROBLEMS THAN MALES. FINALLY, THE FINDINGS INDICATE A LOW AGREEMENT BETWEEN PARENTS AND STUDENTS CONCERNING INTERNALISING PROBLEMS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PARENTS SHOULD LEARN AND EXPLORE DIFFERENT PARENTING STYLES IN ORDER TO REDUCE THEIR CHILDREN'S INTERNALISING PROBLEMS.