Relationships between children’s behaviour and parents’ work within families of mining and energy workers

Abstract

We examine the relationships between the working arrangements of mineworkers and behavioural issues in their children, using a large Australian matched-pair dataset of workers and their partners. The findings suggest both that workers’ work conditions, and aspects of safety and security influence aspects of child behaviour, reflecting not least the results of tiredness, emotional exhaustion and sleep interruption. In addition, it appears that child behaviour probably influences the pressure experienced by their parents and hence their attitudes towards aspects of work.