DASCANIO, Denise; DEL PRETTE, Zilda Aparecida Pereira    FONTAINE, Anne Marie Germane Victorine. Childhood lead poisoning: A discriminant analysis between risk and protection. Estud. pesqui. psicol. []. 2015, 15, 2, pp.725-746. ISSN 1808-4281.

Social skills are recognized as protection factor during human development, against the impacts of risk factors. In this study, considering the risk of children and adolescents contaminated by lead, we sought to identify variables (social skills, parenting practices, behavior problems and academic competence) that distinguish them from uncontaminated and the possible protective role of social skills on behavioral problems in both groups. A sample of 100 children, their mothers and teachers participated in this study. Behavior problems and academic competence were assessed by Social Skills Rating (SSRS-BR); the social skills by SSRS-BR and Inventory of Social Skills for Adolescents (IHSA- Del Prette). Parenting practices were assessed by the Inventory of Parental Styles (IEP). Based on analyzis of variance, discriminant and mediation, it was possible to identify differences between the two groups, with greater impairment in children contaminated, except for the social skill self evaluation assertiveness, and the result showed the best repertoire for lead-poisoned children. It was proved also the mediating role of social skills while minimizing the impact of blood lead level on behavior problems. The overall results showed the notion that a repertoire of social skills may be related to cognitive skills of children and adolescents.

: social skills; blood lead level; protection factors.

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