Peer Dislike Research Articles

Peer Dislike and Future School Adjustment in Early Adolescence: Recognizing Consequences for both Boys and Girls

Peer Dislike and Future School Adjustment in Early Adolescence: Recognizing Consequences for both Boys and Girls

The relation of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity to peer dislike: An examination of potential mediators.

Children who exhibit inattention (IA) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI), symptoms often indicative of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have notable social impairments. We investigated whether IA and HI are directly connected to peer difficulties or indirectly connected through their known association with other problem behaviors. Quadratic assignment procedures (QAP) were employed to address the main study questions: Is the relation between a child reporting not wanting to play with a peer who they perceive as HI and/or IA mediated by the child's perception of that same peer as reactively aggressive, instrumentally aggressive, and/or anxiously withdrawn? Participants were 387 fourth and fifth graders nested in 21 classroom-based peer networks. Participants nominated classroom peers as IA, HI, aggressive, anxiously withdrawn, and as liked-least. Analyses were conducted separately for each classroom-based peer network, and meta-analytic procedures were used to compile results and calculate effect sizes across networks. Controlling for gender homophily between nominators and nominees, logistic regression QAPs indicated that reactive and instrumental aggression do not mediate the relation between IA/HI and peer dislike but, rather, add unique information beyond IA/HI. In contrast, nominating a peer as anxious-withdrawn was not tied to nominating that same peer as IA, HI, or disliked. The results suggest that children find IA and HI aversive enough to contribute to their disliking of peers who exhibit these behaviors, even when accounting for co-occurring aggressive behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Children's behavioral and emotional problems and peer relationships across elementary school: Associations with individual- and school-level parental education

This study examined (a) whether growing up with lower-educated parents and attending lower parental education schools associated with children's problem development within the behavioral, emotional, and peer relationship domains; and (b) whether the association of lower individual-level parental education with children's development within these three domains depended upon school-level parental education. To this end, 698 children (Mage = 7.08 in first grade) from 31 mainstream elementary schools were annually followed from first grade to sixth grade. Problems within the behavioral domain included conduct problems, oppositional defiant problems, attention-deficit and hyperactivity problems, and aggression. Problems within the emotional domain included depression and anxiety symptoms. Problems within the peer relationship domain included physical victimization, relational victimization, and peer dislike. Results from multi-level latent growth models showed that, as compared to children of higher-educated parents, children of lower-educated parents generally had higher levels of problems within all three domains in first grade and exhibited a faster growth rate of problems within the behavioral domain from first to sixth grade. Furthermore, as compared to children attending higher parental education schools, children attending lower parental education schools generally had higher levels of problems within the behavioral and emotional domains in first grade and showed a faster growth rate of peer dislike over time. In addition, cross-level interaction analyses showed that in higher parental education schools, children of lower-educated parents showed a faster growth rate of depression symptom levels than children of higher-educated parents. In lower parental education schools, the growth rate of depression symptom levels did not differ between children of higher- and lower-educated parents. Results highlight that addressing the needs of lower parental education schools and children growing up with lower-educated parents may be of primary importance.

Social anxiety is associated with poorer peer functioning for girls but not boys with ADHD

There is mixed evidence for whether or not co-occurring anxiety is associated with poorer peer functioning in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which may be partly due to studies typically using a global measure of anxiety and failing to consider possible sex differences. The present study examined child-reported social anxiety in relation to peer functioning and whether this association differs by sex in 93 children (66% male; ages 8–12) with ADHD. Children, parents, and teachers completed a measure of social acceptance, and teachers also completed measures of asociality, peer exclusion, peer dislike, and peer ignoring. Regression analyses examined the interaction between social anxiety and sex in relation to the peer functioning variables, with age, race, ADHD subtype, and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms included as covariates. Social anxiety was associated with lower parent-reported social acceptance, with no sex differences in the association. However, significant interaction effects were found for child- and teacher-rated social acceptance, as well as peer exclusion and peer ignoring such that social anxiety was associated with less competence, more exclusion, and greater ignoring for girls but not boys. Findings indicate that social anxiety is associated with poorer peer functioning for girls more so than boys with ADHD.

Peer dislike and victimisation in pathways from ADHD symptoms to depression.

The following hypotheses were tested in a longitudinal, population-based study: (1) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are associated with peer dislike and victimisation; (2) Peer dislike and victimisation increase the risk for subsequent depression; and (3) The effect of ADHD symptoms on depression is partly mediated through peer dislike and victimisation. Gender differences in mediating pathways through peer dislike and victimisation to depression were additionally explored. The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), Youth Self Report (YSR) and Teacher's Checklist of Pathology (TCP) assessed ADHD symptoms in 728 adolescents. Peer nominations were used to assess peer dislike and victimisation. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to assess depression. Effects of peer dislike, victimisation, and ADHD symptoms on depression were modelled using Cox regression. ADHD symptoms were associated with peer dislike (rs = 0.17, p < 0.001) and victimisation (rs = 0.11, p = 0.001). Dislike, victimisation, and ADHD symptoms increased risk for depression. Risk for depression associated with victimisation and ADHD symptoms reduced with time. Dislike and victimisation mediated 7 % of the effect of ADHD symptoms on depression. Pathways through dislike and victimisation were present in girls but not in boys. Peer dislike and victimisation explain, to a limited extent, the prospective association between ADHD and depression, particularly in girls.

An investigation into the lower peer liking of anxious than nonanxious children

Peer dislike of anxious behaviour was investigated in 7–12 year olds. Child actors delivered an identical verbal presentation: once in an anxious manner and once confidently. The videos were rated for liking and seven potential mediators by three groups of children: 32 anxiety-disordered peers with social phobia; 16 anxiety-disordered peers without social phobia; and 48 nonclinical peers. A mediation model with moderation effects was tested within a within-subjects framework. “Anxious” actors were liked significantly less than “confident” actors. This effect differed by group rater, in that relative dislike of the anxious actor was significantly greater for the nonclinical than socially phobic raters. Physical attractiveness and friend acceptance mediated the effect for all group raters. Other identified mediators differed depending upon the group rater. The findings direct future efforts to help anxiety-disordered children circumvent an increased risk of negative peer relations, and testify to consideration of the rater in sociometric studies.

Reciprocal Peer Dislike and Psychosocial Adjustment in Childhood

AbstractReciprocal peer dislike was examined as a predictor of school adjustment and social relationship quality. One hundred and fifty‐one [69 male and 74 female, mean (M)age = 9.53, standard deviation (SD)age = .63 years] children completed measures of school liking, loneliness, and friendship quality twice over three months. From ratings of the amount of time participants liked to spend with individual classmates, social network analyses were used to determine reciprocal peer dislike. Curvilinear regression analyses revealed that reciprocal peer dislike at Time 1 predicted changes in the children's loneliness and friendship quality assessed as help, security, and closeness over three months. The findings support the conclusion that reciprocal peer dislike predicts aspects of school adjustment and social relationship qualities.

The multifaceted impact of peer relations on aggressive–disruptive behavior in early elementary school.

Following a large, diverse sample of 4,096 children in 27 schools, this study evaluated the impact of 3 aspects of peer relations, measured concurrently, on subsequent child aggressive-disruptive behavior during early elementary school: peer dislike, reciprocated friends' aggressiveness, and classroom levels of aggressive-disruptive behavior. Teachers rated child aggressive-disruptive behavior in 1st and 3rd grades, and peer relations were assessed during 2nd grade. Results indicated that heightened classroom aggressive-disruptive behavior levels were related to proximal peer relations, including an increased likelihood of having aggressive friends and lower levels of peer dislike of aggressive-disruptive children. Controlling for 1st grade aggressive-disruptive behavior, the three 2nd grade peer experiences each made unique contributions to 3rd grade child aggressive-disruptive behavior. These findings replicate and extend a growing body of research documenting the multifaceted nature of peer influence on aggressive-disruptive behavior in early elementary school. They highlight the importance of the classroom ecology and proximal peer relations in the socialization of aggressive-disruptive behavior.

A Model of Behaviors, Peer Relations and Depression: Perceived Social Acceptance as a Mediator and the Divergence of Perceptions

Abstract A theoretically derived latent–variable structural model of children's (age 9 to 13, N = 334) behaviors (physical and relational aggression, withdrawal, and prosocial behavior), like–dislike as rated by classmates (peer dislike), perceptions of social acceptance, and depressive symptoms was tested. Results provided evidence that children's perceived social acceptance is a direct correlate of depressive symptoms, and a mediator of the link between peer dislike and self–reported depressive symptoms. In models testing physical and relational aggression separately, children's aggression, withdrawal, and prosocial behavior were directly associated with peer dislike. Freeing paths to differ for boys and girls did not significantly improve the fit of any model. Additionally, the discrepancy between actual and perceived peer acceptance (e.g., children's under– or overestimation of acceptance) was considered. Children who perceived low acceptance or underestimated their acceptance were relatively more dep...

ADHD symptoms and peer relations of children in a community sample: Examining associated problems, self-perceptions, and gender differences

This study examined children's peer relations in relation to gender, symptoms of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), associated behaviour problems, prosociality, and self-perceptions, in a community sample. Six hundred and thirty-five 12-year-old children (314 girls) provided peer nominations and rated feelings of loneliness and self-perceptions regarding global self-worth and behavioural conduct. We obtained teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms, conduct and internalising problems, and prosociality. ADHD symptoms, conduct problems, internalising problems, and low levels of prosociality were all related to higher levels of peer dislike. Despite ADHD symptoms being related to more peer dislike, children with high levels of ADHD symptoms did not report more feelings of loneliness. The self-perceptions of children with high levels of ADHD were not related to peer dislike. Although high levels of ADHD symptoms were not related to peer dislike in girls, peers tolerated higher levels of ADHD symptoms among boys than among girls, providing support for the “gender appropriateness hypothesis” regarding the impact and influence of ADHD symptomatology upon the peer relations of children within a community sample.

ADHD symptoms and peer relations of children in a community sample: Examining associated problems, self-perceptions, and gender differences

This study examined children's peer relations in relation to gender, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), associated behaviour problems, prosociality, and self-perceptions, in a community sample. Six hundred and thirty-five 12-year-old children (314 girls) provided peer nominations and rated feelings of loneliness and self-perceptions regarding global self-worth and behavioural conduct. We obtained teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms, conduct and internalising problems, and prosociality. ADHD symptoms, conduct problems, internalising problems, and low levels of prosociality were all related to higher levels of peer dislike. Despite ADHD symptoms being related to more peer dislike, children with high levels of ADHD symptoms did not report more feelings of loneliness. The self-perceptions of children with high levels of ADHD were not related to peer dislike. Although high levels of ADHD symptoms were not related to peer dislike in girls, peers tolerated higher levels of ADHD symptoms among boys than among girls, providing support for the "gender appropriateness hypothesis" regarding the impact and influence of ADHD symptomatology upon the peer relations of children within a community sample.

Building Relationships and Combating Bullying:Effectiveness of a School-Based Social Skills Group Intervention

This study tested the efficacy of a generic social skills intervention, Social Skills GRoup INtervention (S.S.GRIN), for children experiencing peer dislike, bullying, or social anxiety. Third-grade children were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 187) or no-treatment control (CO; n = 194) groups. Examination of the direction and magnitude of change in functioning revealed that S.S.GRIN increased peer liking, enhanced self-esteem and self-efficacy, and decreased social anxiety compared to controls. S.S.GRIN was equally efficacious for all subtypes of peer problems targeted. Particular benefits were found for aggressive children who showed greater declines in aggression and bullying behavior and fewer antisocial affiliations than aggressive control participants. Discussion focuses on the benefits of heterogeneous versus homogeneous groups of participants and the potential value of utilizing generic social skills training protocols.

Parenting Practices and Child Social Adjustment: Multiple Pathways of Influence

This study explored pathways of influence linking parenting practices, child perceptions of their parents and peers, and social adjustment. Two dimensions of parenting practices were assessed from both parent and child reports: warmth/support and hostility/control. Child perceptions of peers also were assessed along these same dimensions. Parenting practices were related to peer-reported social behavior, peer dislike, and child social problem solving. Children's perceptions of their parenting experiences were related to their social problem solving and their reported social distress. In some cases, child perceptions of peer relations mediated the associations. The findings are discussed in terms of the importance of both the family and peer domains for child social development and the influence that child perceptions may have for psychological well-being.

An Assessment of the Relationship among Measures of Children's Social Competence and Children's Academic Achievement

GREEN, KENNETH D.; FOREHAND, REX; BECK, STEVEN J.; and VOSK, BARBARA. An Assessment of the Relationship among Measures of Children's Social Competence and Children's Academic Achievement. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1980, 51, 1149-1156. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the relationship among 4 measures of school-aged children's social competence (behavioral, sociometric, teacher completed, and child self-report) and their relationship to an academic measure. 116 third-grade children served as subjects. A correlational matrix and a factor analysis were performed on the data. The results indicated that children with high academic achievement scores were liked by and interacted positively with peers. Negative peer interaction was not related to popularity, while positive peer interaction was negatively correlated with peer dislike. Teacher ratings suggested that teachers can identify children who are liked and disliked by their peers. The child self-report measure produced few correlations with other measures. The factor analysis resulted in the identification of 5 factors: social status, teacher-perceived deviance, sociability, academic, and peer aggressive. Implications of the findings are discussed.