Problematic Social Situations for Peer-Rejected Students in the First Year of Elementary School

Abstract

This study examined the social situations that are problematic for peer-rejected students in the first year of elementary school. For this purpose, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the Taxonomy of Problematic Social Situations for Children (TOPS, Dodge et al., 1985) in 169 rejected pupils, identified from a sample of 1457 first-grade students (ages 5–7) enrolled in 62 classrooms of elementary school. For each rejected student, another student of average sociometric status of the same gender was selected at random from the same classroom (naverage = 169). The model for the rejected students showed a good fit, and was also invariant in the group of average students. Four types of situations were identified in which rejected students have significantly more difficulties than average students. They are, in descending order: (a) respect for authority and rules, (b) being disadvantaged, (c) prosocial and empathic behavior, and (d) response to own success. Rejected boys have more problems in situations of prosociability and empathy than girls. The implications concerning the design of specific programs to prevent and reduce early childhood rejection in the classroom are discussed.

Student‐teacher relationships and bullying: The role of student social status

“…Healthy peer relationships are vital for the positive development of students' cognitive, emotional, and social skills (Ladd, 2005;Martín-Antón, Monjas, García Bacete, & Jiménez, 2016;Merrell & Gueldner, 2010;Rose-Krasnor & Denham, 2009), as well as their scholastic adaptation (Gifford-Smith & Brownell, 2003). In early adolescence, peer group integration is a key feature for maintaining a healthy developmental trajectory (Cillessen & Mayeux, 2004;Engels et al, 2016;Hartup, 1989;Hay, Caplan, & Nash, 2009;Martín-Antón et al, 2016).…”

Risk Factors for Peer Victimization among Middle and High School Students

“…On the contrary, having positive relationships with peers is considered a protective factor against victimization [19]. Healthy peer relationships are considered critical for promoting positive mental, emotional and social skills [20] and negative relationships can result in increased aggressive behaviors and reduced school adjustment [21]. Overall, female students tend to have stronger attachments to peers than do male students [22].…”

Understanding Rejection between First-and-Second-Grade Elementary Students through Reasons Expressed by Rejecters

“…Thus, most studies have focused on the rejected person, largely by examining the correlates and consequences of rejection (Coie et al, 1990; Bierman, 2004), and other questions such as perceptions of being rejected (Guerra et al, 2004), reactions to rejection (Sandstrom and Zakriski, 2004), or problematic social situations for peer-rejected students (Martín-Antón et al, 2016). When attention is given to the rejecter, the focus has generally been on explicit rejection behaviors (Asher et al, 2001; Lev-Wiesel et al, 2013).…”