Peer Relations in Hyperactive Children

Abstract

RESEARCH and clinical work with hyperactive children have focused on problems with attention, self-control, disciplinary problems, and school achievement. Remarkably little emphasis has been placed on the social functioning of these youngsters or the difficulties which may follow from problems with peers. Indeed, relatively little empirical data exist on the social competence or incompetence of hyperactive children with agemates or siblings, although the importance of peer interaction to general adjustment is accepted virtually without question.Recently there has been renewed interest in social behaviour, social cognition, and patterns of peer interaction in non-clinical populations of children (e.g. Asher, Oden and Gottman, 1976;Hartup, 1970;Shantz, 1975) and there is wide agreement that satisfactory relations with peers are a crucial facet of normal development. Evidence from several studies indicates that popularity with peers is an important predictor of adjustment in childhood and adulthood. Cowen et al. (1973) reported that children who were rated negatively by peers in third grade were more likely to end up on the psychiatric register in early adulthood. Indeed, peer ratings were more accurate predictors of later adjustment than teacher or parent reports of school achievement. The long-term follow-up studies of Robins (1966) and Roff (1961) likewise indicate that poor peer relations are likely precursors of adult psychopathology, while Garmezy (1975) notes that children at risk are similarly characterized by problems with peers. Subjects in many of these studies include heterogeneous groups of aggressive and withdrawn children, many of whom are very likely to have been hyperactive.As Hartup (1976) has argued in his discussion of peer interaction in normal children, socialization within the peer group is an important part of development. He suggests that socialization of aggression, morality, and sex-typing, for example, are very strongly influenced by peer group experiences. Moreover, positive peer relations are associated with social competence, school achievement, and general adjustment. Given the strong link between social success in the peer group and other indices of adjustment and maladjustment across the age range from the preschool years (Kohn, 1976;Bronson, 1966) through adulthood (Robins, 1966;Roff, 1961), it appears obvious that some consideration should be given to peer interaction in children specifically diagnosed as hyperactive.•Requests for reprints to:

Developmental stage and the expression of depressive disorders in children: An empirical analysis

“…Therefore, compared to the emergence of other developmentally mediated potentials, a lag in the ability to think about and understand one's interpersonal world may be a marker of diagnosable child psychopathology. This interpretation appears to be consistent with reports that, among children, problems as diverse as attention deficit disorder or recently remitted major depression are associated with impaired peer relationships (Campbell and Paulauskas, 1979;Puig-Antich and Weston, 1983).…”

Congruence of Behavioral Symptomatology in Children with ADD/H, ADD/WO, and Learning Disabilities

“…It may be that a social context (e.g., the classroom) may create more opportunity for withdrawal and isolation, or observation of such, than will the context of a child's family, in which his or her role may be more secure. Previous studies (e.g., Bickett & Milich, 1990;Bryan & Bryan, 1977;Campbell & Paulauskas, 1979) have supported the notion that children with ADD or LD are less popular or are rejected more frequently by their peers due to inappropriate classroom behavior or negative social interactions.…”

“…An additional explanation for the difficulty in distinguishing the groups on withdrawal/lethargy items is that these items may not reflect the causative factors associated with withdrawal in children with ADD or LD. Previous studies suggest that children with LD and ADD are often socially isolated because of adjustment difficulties and, as a result, become more withdrawn (e.g., Bickett & Milich, 1990;Campbell & Paulauskas, 1979;King & Young, 1982;Klein & Young, 1979). Therefore, all three groups of children may appear withdrawn or socially isolated because they are less likely to be accepted by peers, but the items may not be sensitive to the reason for this social isolation (e.g., immaturity, disruptive behavior, difficulty interpreting and responding to social cues).…”

The Effect of a Multi-Component Consultation Intervention on the Pragmatic Language Skills of Students with Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

“…Intervention is critical for these children as their social setbacks tend to be "durable, recurrent, and often escalating" (Whalen & Henker, 1985, p. 448), and unfortunately often increase as opposed to improve over time. Furthermore, negative peer relationships have been found to be predictive of problems in other domains of life, including academic and occupational achievement (Campbell & Paulauskas, 1979;Løkke, 2011;Whalen & Henker, 1985).…”

“…Prevalent abnormalities in the social behavior of children with ADHD are a cause of concern for many caregivers and adults involved with these children (Barkley, 1981;Campbell & Paulauskas, 1979;Erhardt & Hinshaw, 1994;Leonard et al, 2011;Løkke, 2011;Timler, 2014;Walen & Henker, 1985). In fact, parents and teachers of children with ADHD most frequently report social troubles as a major behavior issue (Løkke, 2011;Timler 2014;Walen & Henker, 1985).…”