The School Years: Psychosocial Development Slides prepared by Kate Byerwalter, Ph.D., Grand Rapids...

The School Years: Psychosocial Development

Slides prepared by Kate Byerwalter, Ph.D., Grand Rapids Community College

The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence by Kathleen Stassen Berger

Chapter 13

Seventh Edition

Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13

Make it Real: The Peer Group

Think back to middle childhood:

What kinds of activities did you do with your friends?

How much adult supervision was there?

How did you handle conflicts?

Was there a “leader” of the group?


The Culture of Children

Kids learn to negotiate, share, and compromise with peers.

KYUYA KAWAZAWA / HAGA / THE IMAGE WORKS


The Culture of Children (cont.) The culture of children refers to the

habits, styles, values, and rules that set children apart from adult society.

Examples: secret “clubs,” “cootie catchers,” rules for outdoor games, clothes worn, language used, etc.


The Culture of Children (cont.) Fitting in with one’s peers is a major

priority during middle childhood.

Kids engage in social comparison: assessing their abilities and attributes against those of their peers.


The Culture of Children (cont.) Peers can have both a positive and

negative influence on one another.

Immigrant children may rely heavily on peers in the dominant culture to teach them language and social customs.

This may or may not please the parents!


Moral Development

Peers send some strong messages (positive and negative) regarding morals within the context of friendship.

Examples: Protect your friends. Fit in. Don’t tell on a friend to an adult. Don’t break a contract with a friend.


Variations in Social Acceptance

Research has investigated why some kids seem to be more popular than others.

Popular kids are kind, trustworthy, and cooperative, and well-liked by peers.

Neglected kids are unpopular, but not disliked.


Social Acceptance (cont.)

Aggressive-rejected kids are disliked due to antagonistic, confrontational behavior.

Withdrawn-rejected kids are disliked due to timid, anxious behavior.

Rejected kids often lack social cognition, the ability to understand social behavior.


“You did that on purpose!”

Aggressive-Rejected children are likely to view an accidental event as purposeful. They are often “combat ready.”

PHOTODISC


Perceptions Make a Difference


Make it Real: Social Acceptance Can you recall a child who was rejected

by peers during your schooling? What factors contributed to his/her disliking? What could have been done to help him/her?


Friendships

Friendships are highly valued during middle childhood. Most 10 year olds have one “best” friend.

Older children tend to choose friends whose interests, values, and backgrounds are similar to their own.


Bullying

Bullying involves repeated, systematic efforts to inflict harm.

This includes physical attack, taunting, teasing, name calling.


Bullying: Who are the victims? Victims tend to be withdrawn-rejected

kids who have no friend to support them.

Some aggressive-rejected kids are also bullied (bully-victims).

Consequences of being bullied include anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.


Bullying: Who are the bullies? Contributing factors to bullying include:

Inborn brain abnormalities or genetic impulses

Insecure attachment

Stressful home life

Hostile siblings

Lack of knowledge of how to control aggressive impulses


Gender Differences in Bullying

Male bullies tend to be above average in size, and use physical aggression.

Female bullies tend to use relational aggression: spreading rumors or embarrassing secrets, ridiculing victims through mockery of clothes or behavior.


Bullying: Helping the Victims

De-escalating a confrontation is a good strategy for girls (i.e., “never let them see you sweat”); it may not work for boys.

Schools need to have comprehensive, anti-bullying programs in place.


Families and Children

Research has documented the various types of families among U.S. children, known as family structures.

However, more important than who lives with a child is family function, the way a family works to meet needs of a child.


Key Components of Family Function

Provide food, clothing, and shelter

Encourage learning

Develop self-respect

Nurture peer relationships

Ensure harmony and stability


Quiz: Family Functions

Which family functions might be addressed by this activity of shopping for shoes?

KATHY MCLAUGHLIN / THE IMAGE WORKS


Make it Real: Family Structures

Share with a partner the “structure” of your family. How do you feel about having that family structure?

(Note: say “pass” if you don’t wish to share)


“Where’s the Beav?”

In the 1950’s, nuclear family was the norm

Example: “Leave it to Beaver” TV show

Today, only a minority (37%) of U.S. children will live with both biological parents from birth to age 18.


Is one family structure “best”? Children from nuclear families are often at

an advantage, but the reason may be family function, not structure.

Higher family income

Parents tend to be psychologically healthy

Biological parents have a genetic impulse to protect their own offspring

Parental “alliance” to raise kids


Putting it in Perspective…

However, just because a family is a nuclear family does not guarantee it is a healthy, happy one!

And, just because a family isn’t nuclear, doesn’t mean it can’t be a healthy, happy one!


A Happy “Blended” Family

BILL ARON / PHOTOEDIT, INC.


Income and Family Functioning

The family stress model explores how financial difficulties can impair family functioning by placing stress upon the family.

Changes in income can cause parents to be anxious, depressed, or angry, affecting their ability to parent effectively.


Harmony and Stability

Children thrive in homes in which parents form a parental alliance, a harmonious relationship that support’s parenting efforts.

Blended and single parent families may have more difficulty achieving harmony and stability.


Harmony and Stability (cont.) Multiple transitions (e.g., moving,

separations, divorce, remarriage) are especially difficult for children to handle.

Some families may appear to be less “harmonious” (warm) than others, but the children still fare well, due to stability.


The Nature of the Child

Latency is Freud’s term for middle childhood, during which emotional drives and psychosocial needs are quiet.

This allows the child time to acquire cognitive skills and cultural values.


The Nature of the Child

Industry vs. inferiority is Erikson’s fourth stage of psychosocial crises, in which children see themselves as competent or incompetent.

In middle childhood, kids develop a more complex self concept, including more self-criticism and self-consciousness.


Coping with Life: Resilience

As shown in this chapter, children in middle childhood must learn to cope with the stresses of life, from bullying to divorce.

Resilience is the capacity to develop optimally by adapting positively to significant adversity.


Coping with Life: Resilience (cont.)

Key parts of the definition of resilience:

It is a dynamic trait, varying with time

It is not the absence of pathology, but a positive adaptation to stress

The stress may vary in significance


Stressors: How many, how often?

Children can be affected by stress that is cumulative (e.g., “daily hassles”)

How the child interprets the stress is important

Daily routines are key in coping with stressExample: after school activities


Social Support and Stress

Social support from parents, neighborhoods, friends, and religious faith can significantly buffer the impact of stress.

Religious faith and church involvement are psychologically protective, helping children reinterpret stressful experiences.


“We support each other!”

BOB CHILD / AP PHOTO

The School Years: Psychosocial Development Slides prepared by Kate Byerwalter, Ph.D., Grand Rapids...

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