Name‐calling and Peer Beliefs among Primary School Children in Turkey

Abstract

Name‐calling is a common problem among primary school children in Turkey as in other countries. The Name‐Calling Survey and Peer Beliefs Inventory were used to determine the relationships between name‐calling and peer beliefs amongst a group of 319 primary school children in Turkey. Name‐calling was found to be more common amongst boys than girls. A negative relationship was found between name‐calling and peer beliefs, so that the greater experience of name‐calling, the more children disliked their peers. Gender and grade level were found to have a significant negative relationship. The name‐calling experiences of students affected their friendship relationships negatively, which contributed to violence in schools. School counsellors must be aware of name‐calling victims and perpetrators, as well as organizing educational programmes aimed at helping students to cope with these problems.