Relationships between parental overprotection and fifth-graders' self-concept and level of social and school functioning were examined by means of systematic observations of parent-child interactions in the home, parent and child self-reports, teacher and peer ratings, grades, and achievement scores. Subjects were 43 middle-to-upper-middle income Caucasian families in a Vermont suburb. A total of 35 of the families had 2 adults in the home; 8 had 1 adult at home. Findings indicated that parental overprotection was significantly related to defensive and provoking behaviors in children, and to low self-concept and school functioning. Parental overprotective behaviors were negatively related to children's academic achievement. Results for the effects of parental overprotection on children's social functioning appeared to be mixed, depending on the source of information. Mothers displayed significantly more overprotective behaviors than fathers. No differences in level of overprotective behavior with respect to the sex of children were found. It is concluded that parental overprotection appears to be a meaningful predictor of children's self-concept and social and school functioning. (RH)