Bridgette D. Harper

Parents’ and Children’s Beliefs About Peer Victimization Attributions, Coping Responses, and Child Adjustment

This study examined how parents’ and children’s beliefs about peer victimization are related to children’s adjustment. A mediational model was proposed that addressed how adjustment is predicted by degree of victimization, as well as causal attributions of and coping responses to victimization. The participants were 100 fifth- or sixth-grade children and one of their parents (primarily mothers). Children’s ages ranged from 10 to12 years of age (M = 10 years and 10 months, SD = 6 months). Using procedures recommended by Kenny, Kashy, and Bolger, mediational models were examined using multiple regression analyses. Results for child ratings supported the hypothesis that the association between peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment is mediated through characterological blame attributions; this pattern of association was evident within parent-report data as well. Coping responses were not significant mediators in the models that examined the predictors of maladjustment from perceived victimization, attributions, and coping responses.

The Effect of Induced Mood on Children’s Social Information Processing: Goal Clarification and Response Decision

We investigated whether induced mood influenced the social information processing steps of goal clarification and response decision in 480 1st–3rd graders, and in more selected groups of low accepted-aggressive (n = 39), average accepted-nonaggressive (n = 103), and high accepted-nonaggressive children (n = 68). Children participated in two sessions; in the first session peer assessments were administered. In the second session children were randomly assigned to receive either a happy, angry, or neutral mood induction prior to participating in a social cognitive interview assessing goals, outcome expectancies, and self efficacy for competent, hostile, and passive responses in the context of ambiguous provocations. Results revealed that an angry mood increased focus on instrumental goals. Low accepted-aggressive children were more susceptible to the effects of mood than were high accepted- and average-nonaggressive children. In addition, children’s predominant goal orientation was related to children’s response decisions; children with predominantly instrumental goals evaluated nonhostile responses to provocation more negatively and had higher self efficacy for hostile responses. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

The Development of Anger from Preschool to Middle Childhood: Expressing, Understanding, and Regulating Anger

A review is provided of the developmental course of anger during the preschool years (3–5 years) and middle childhood (6 –12 years). In addition, individual differences in anger during these developmental periods are reviewed. Three main aspects of anger are the focus of this chapter: (a) expression of anger, (b) perception and understanding of anger, and (c) regulation of anger. From the preschool years through middle childhood and beyond, children make great strides in the perception and understanding of anger and in regulating the anger they feel and express. These developmental changes are supported by advances in children’s perceptual and cognitive development and by sensitive and responsive caregiving. The preschool years are a key time in the socialization of anger as perceptual, cognitive, and language development provide important tools for identifying, understanding, and regulating anger. Converging evidence demonstrates that, by the time of school entry, those children who have not mastered these skills are at risk for peer relations problems, poor adjustment to school, and a variety of externalizing problems.

Emotional Competence and Social Relations

Models of emotional competence are briefly reviewed and a working definition of emotional competence is offered. We address how emotional competence is related to social relations in two ways. First,

Patterns of Friendship in Ungraded Primary Classes.

Patterns of friendship in 66 ungraded primary classrooms were investigated. A sample of 1168 ungraded primary students participated in rating and nomination sociometric assessments which yielded independent information concerning overall acceptance by the classroom peer group and the presence of reciprocated friendship dyads. Analyses revealed that both peer acceptance level and age relative to classmates influenced whether children had friends, the total number of reciprocated friendships, and the numbers of friendships with children who were of different ages relative to classmates. Previous research had suggested that ungraded primary students who are relatively younger than their classmates are less well accepted by their classmates. Results confirmed and extended this research by demonstrating that relatively younger children in mixed-age classes also are less likely to have reciprocated friendships with classmates. These results suggest that teachers in mixed-age preschool and primary programs may need to implement practices which assist friendship formation, especially for the younger class members.

Differences in Adolescents’ Response Decision and Evaluation for Face-to-Face and Cyber Victimization

The current study was designed to assess early adolescents’ response evaluation and decision for hypothetical peer victimization vignettes. Participants were 336 (59% girls; X ¯ age = 12.55) seventh and eighth graders from one school in the Midwestern United States. Adolescents read a hypothetical online or offline social situation and answered questions designed to access internal congruence, response evaluation, response efficacy, emotional outcome expectancy, and social outcome expectancy. Girls were more likely to believe that aggressive responses online and offline would lead to positive social and emotional outcome expectancies when compared with boys. Adolescents were more likely to believe that offline and online aggressive responses were legitimate responses to face-to-face victimization, feel that aggressive responses online or offline were easier to execute in response to face-to-face victimization, and that aggressive responses online or offline would lead to positive emotions and better social outcomes.