A peer group socialization therapy program in the school: An outcome investigation

Abstract

This article presents an outcome study of a 14-session preadolescent peer-group therapy program conducted in an elementary school. Group structure and activities designed to facilitate the acquisition of social skills with peers are presented. The results indicated that group members improved significantly in task-oriented classroom behaviors; however, the relationship between this improvement and improved social skills is unclear. A discussion is provided, and implications for further research are discussed.As children develop, there are specific tasks and skills that they must master. One class of behaviors that has received considerable recent attention is the development of age-appropriate social skills (Brown & Brown, 1976;Hartup, 1973; McCandless, 197 1;Strain & Shores, 1977). The developmental stage during which social skill acquisition is particularly critical is the middle childhood period commonly referred to as "latency" or "preadolescence." This stage, ranging from approximately 8 through 12 years, has been characterized by Erikson (1950) as decisively important for the social development of the individual. Failure to master skills during this period will lead to the incorporation of a sense of inadequacy and inferiority into a child's self-concept.One particularly crucial element of the socialization process during the preadolescent years is the child's effective integration into the peer group. Sullivan (1945) referred to the 8% to 12-year-old age period as the "juvenile era," during which the child must develop a relationship with a peer group in order to extend his sense of self outside the family system. Increasingly important with age, the peer group provides a variety of opportunities. It is indispensable in the role rehearsal of many interpersonal skills; it provides important feedback concerning self-judgements and self-esteem; and, up until adolescence, it is the primary arena for the child's development of peer-influenced socialization. In reviewing the effects of the peer group in development, Hartup (1973) stated that major predictive studies have established a relationship between adjustment to the childhood peer group and later adolescent and adult emotional status.Since the school provides a major setting for peer-group activities, one would expect that the development of effective peer relations would be a major programmatic focus in this setting. Minimally, one would hope to find social skills programs designed for children whose relationships with peers are typically problematic, such as children with learning disabilities. Yet several authors (Ledebur, 1977; McCandless, 197 1) have suggested that this area of learning and development is ignored by schools more frequently than it is faced.Requests for reprints should be sent to George E. Hargrave. Suite 109, 12820 Hillcrest Rd., Dallas, TX 75230. 546

Fostering Student Emotional Growth: Teacher Self‐assessments

“…The teachers rated themselves proficient on the (Average rating 5.00 or higher) General teacher-student communication skills Group discussion and group leadership skill Using effective discipline techniques Increasing cooperaive behavior in the classroom Increasing students' acceptance of themselves and others Establishing a climate of trust Teachers' own self-awareness Knowledge of self-esteem development and its interaction with Using reflective listening Increasing students' ability to solve problems and make decisions Increasing students' involvement in making classroom rules Specifically using nonpunitive discipline methods Helping students to increase self-control Helping students to learn acceptable outlets for strong emotion Ensuring adequate amounts of success for each student Integrating affective and cognitive learnings General counseling skills Understanding specil needs and psychological development of Summary of Teachers' Ratings of Skills and Concepts key skills, having good understanding of the key concepts, and in strong agreement with the key attitudes, both in general terms and in regard to almost all the specific items. This is particularly striking in view of teachers' rejection of affectively oriented roles (Allinsmith & Goethals, 1962;Koll & Bodine, 1977) and research suggesting that teachers are unsure of their ability to facilitiate affective growth (Hargrave & Hargrave, 1979;Schultz & Wolfe, 1973). Differences between the present study and one conducted by Schultz and Wolfe (1973) provide a possible explanation for the teachers' responses.…”