Peer relations and friendships in early childhood: The association with peer victimization

Autor: Claire Monks, Katarzyna Kucaba
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Aggressive behavior. 48(4)
ISSN: 1098-2337
0096-140X
Popis: We examined the association between involvement in peer victimisation in early childhood and different measures of peer relations in order to examine the role of the peer group in victimisation with special focus on the role of the aggressor, defender, and target. Children (N=200; 45.5% girls) and teachers (N=8; 100% women) were recruited from three primary schools in the south-east of England. Children were aged 5-7 years (M=75.6 months, SD=10.39). Child and teacher reports of children’s friendships were obtained. Children reported on the quality of their best friendship. Children provided peer reports on involvement in peer victimisation (as aggressor, defender, and target) and social status (like-most and like-least). Results show that aggressive children received more like-least nominations than other children, defenders were the most liked by peers, but targets’ social status was not clearly identifiable. There were no significant differences between role in peer victimisation and best friend nominations - most children said that they had a best friend. Similarly, there were no differences in reciprocated friendship between different roles. However, children who had their friendship reciprocated received more defender nominations. In line with the homophily hypothesis, aggressive children tended to have aggressive friends and have friendships characterised by conflict. Defenders were friends with other defenders. Targets tended to follow the social competence model of friendships by indicating defenders as their best friends. We discuss these findings in relation to the role that group processes may play in peer victimisation in early childhood.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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