The Long and Short-Term Effects of Problems Experienced by Young Children in Their Peer Relationships on Social and Emotional Development

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the long and short-term effects of aggressive with peers, asocial behaviours with peers, and excluded by peers levels of preschool children on the social-emotional well-being and psychological resilience variables. Forty children, aged five year and receiving full-day education in a kindergarten in Turkey, participated in the study. In this study, the preschool education teachers completed the Child Behaviour Scale (aggressive with peers, asocial behaviours with peers and excluded by peers subscales) and Social-Emotional Well-Being and Resilience Scale (PERIK) for each child twice (autumn and spring). According to the results of the study the problems experienced by young children in their peer relationships had long and short-term effects on social-emotional well-being and resilience. While excluded by peers significantly predicted the making contact, social performance, self-control, thoughtfulness levels in the long and short terms. The aggression level in the autumn term significantly predicted the levels of making contact, social performance, self-control, thoughtfulness in the same term. The asocial behavior level in the autumn term significantly predicted the levels of making contact, social performance in the same term.