Gretchen Bjornstad

Children’s emotional experience of peer provocation: The relation between observed behaviour and self-reports of emotions, expressions, and social goals

For an experimental study of children’s responses to peer provocation, this investigation examined the correlations between children’s observed behaviours and their self-reports of their emotional experiences, expressions, and social goals provided in an interview immediately following the provocation. Participants were 565 children (approximate ages 8, 10, and 12 years old) who were provoked in two ways in an experimental play session: By losing at a computer game they were playing for a desirable prize, and by being taunted by a peer actor. Children’s responses to provocation were reliably coded for verbalisations, facial expressions, and gestures. Results indicated often significant but quite modest correlations between children’s self-reports of their emotional behaviour and their behaviours as coded during the play session. For the magnitude of these correlations, there were not significant developmental differences, and the strength of the correlations did not differ for same- or for other-gender dyads. There was some evidence that for girls, self-reports corresponded to emotional behaviours more strongly than for boys.

Economic evaluation of early childhood education in a policy context

Purpose – This paper seeks to describe a cost‐benefit analysis of early childhood education programmes.Design/methodology/approach – The analysis utilises the best evidence available for early education programmes, combined with data from Washington State and economic literature to determine the monetary implications of these programmes.Findings – The results indicate that early childhood education can yield benefits that substantially outweigh the costs of the programmes. In addition, these benefits were found to apply in many different public sector areas.Originality/value – The paper offers an analytic model to determine the long‐term benefits of early intervention programmes.

Involving parents in school-based programmes to prevent and reduce bullying: what effect does it have?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe how and why school-based programmes to prevent or reduce bullying involve parents, and what impact involving parents has on bullying. Design/methodology/approach – A review of relevant literature, in particular systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Findings – The logic of involving parents in school-based bullying prevention programmes is that this increases the likelihood of parents first, telling schools that their child is being bullied, which in turn enables the school to act appropriately, and second, being able to address bullying-related issues effectively at home. Parent involvement is associated with a reduction in bullying but further research is needed to determine if it is a causal factor. Programmes tend not to include a parenting education and support element, despite negative parenting behaviour being associated with children being a victim or a bully/victim. Practical implications – There is good reason to involve parents in school-based b...