From A (Aggression) to V (Victimization): Peer Status and Adjustment Among Academically Gifted Students in Early Adolescence

Abstract

Peer status is an important indicator and predictor of adjustment. While gifted children tend to enjoy favorable peer status, their social functioning during adolescence is less clear. The current study seeks to enhance this understanding by examining both preference- and reputation-based peer status of gifted adolescents. Peer nominations were used to assess the peer status, aggression, victimization, and prosocial leadership of 327 public school seventh graders (44% male; 42% White). School records provided giftedness information, course grade, and standardized test scores, and substance use was self-reported. Gifted students were viewed as less aggressive and more prosocial and had higher academic achievement than nonidentified students. Giftedness moderated the peer status–adjustment relationship. Rejection related to higher victimization and test scores, but these associations were most exaggerated for gifted students. Popularity positively related to aggression and substance use; however, the associations were greatly attenuated for gifted students. Findings underscore the heterogeneity of gifted adolescents’ social experiences.

Cyberbullying and Internet Addiction in Gifted and Nongifted Teenagers

“…We speculate that a shortcoming in interpersonal factors could contribute to a negative self-perception in their social relationships, a feeling of rejection or exclusion, and no social benefit to being intelligent, even if the objective data do not describe this reality (Lee et al, 2012). It could also be speculated that gifted students’ asynchronous development, and characteristics such as greater sensitivity toward social situations, together with more demanding behavior, makes some gifted adolescents more vulnerable and less competent in their online relationships and/or more prone to show passive aggressive behaviors with greater implications and frequency than nonidentified students (Espelage & King, 2018; Peairs et al, 2019). A straightforward explanation for the distinct pattern of associations found for gifted and nonidentified students regarding the role of interpersonal factors explaining cyberbullying would require new, more specific studies devoted to exploring differences in social strategic behaviors used by gifted and nonidentified students.…”

“…Studies on Internet addiction show that excessive use among young people leads to situations of mood changes, loneliness (Muñoz-Rivas et al, 2010 ), depression, low selfesteem, conflicts with parents (Karaer & Akdemir, 2019;Peng et al, 2019;Yen et al, 2009), lower quality social relationships, and fewer adaptive strategies (Li et al, 2019;Milani et al, 2009). Fisoun et al (2012) conducted a study among secondary school students between 14 and 18 years of age, which found a correlation between symptoms of Internet addiction and antisocial behavior.…”

Επίπεδα Συναισθηματικής Νοημοσύνης Στα Χαρισματικά Παιδιά

“…Επιπλέον, τα χαρισματικά παιδιά που προσπαθούν, αλλά αποτυγχάνουν να ανταποκριθούν στις εξαιρετικά υψηλές προσδοκίες, μπορεί να υποφέρουν από χαμηλή αυτοεκτίμηση, στρες, κατάθλιψη και γενικά να έχουν κακή προσαρμογή στο σχολικό περιβάλλον (McMann & Oliver, ΕΠΙΠΕΔΑ ΣΥΝΑΙΣΘΗΜΑΤΙΚΗΣ ΝΟΗΜΟΣΥΝΗΣ ΣΤΑ ΧΑΡΙΣΜΑΤΙΚΑ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ ΠΑΙΔΑΓΩΓΙΚΟΣ ΛΟΓΟΣ 1/2021 131 1988. Peairs, Putallaz & Costanzo, 2019). Ευρήματα ερευνών που αφορούν στην ανατροφή των παιδιών και εν γένει στην εκπαίδευσή τους έχουν δείξει ότι η οικογένεια διαδραματίζει σημαντικό και θετικό ρόλο στην ανάπτυξη των ταλέντων και των δυνατοτήτων των χαρισματικών παιδιών (π.χ., Bloom, 1985.…”

Covert Aggression and Gifted Adolescent Girls

“…Research suggests gifted students use relational aggression skillfully as a preferred strategy due to their advanced cognitive abilities (Ogurlu, 2015;Peairs et al, 2019;Pelchar & Bain, 2014). Ogurlu investigated the relationship of ostracism and intelligence with middle school gifted students using the Ostracism Experience Scale for Adolescents and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised Form).…”