Boys who lie

Abstract

Lying in 4th-, 7th-, and 10th-grade boys was measured through parent and teacher reports. There was a tendency for the prevalence of lying to be lower for older boys. In all three grades lying was significantly related to several problem behaviors, such as delinquency, theft, and fighting. However, the correlations were generally higher for older than for younger children. Children who lied were more likely to come from families where mothers poorly supervised their children and rejected them, and where parents did not get along well or did not live together. Socioeconomic status was not related to children's lying.