This study examined the impact on families of children with externalizing behaviors (e.g. hyperactive, aggressive, non-compliant; n = 22), and no significant problem behaviors (n = 40) on several measures of family functioning. Compared to parents with normally developing children, parents with externalizing children reported more negative feelings about child and parenting (p < or = 0.001), more negative impact on social life (p < or = 0.01). Parents of children with externalizing behaviors have not used many of the coping strategies necessary to deal with stresses they encounter. Scores of emotional empathy index of parents with externalizing children were significantly lower in comprising with control (p < or = 0.001). We suggest that this parental characteristic contributes significantly to parent-child relationship problems.