The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence by

The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence by Kathleen Stassen Berger Seventh Edition Chapter 13 The School Years: Psychosocial Development Slides prepared by Kate Byerwalter, Ph. D. , Grand Rapids Community College

Make it Real: The Peer Group n 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? Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

The Culture of Children n Kids learn to negotiate, share, and compromise with peers. KYUYA KAWAZAWA / HAGA / THE IMAGE WORKS Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

The Culture of Children (cont. ) n The culture of children refers to the habits, styles, values, and rules that set children apart from adult society. n Examples: secret “clubs, ” “cootie catchers, ” rules for outdoor games, clothes worn, language used, etc. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

The Culture of Children (cont. ) n Fitting in with one’s peers is a major priority during middle childhood. n Kids engage in social comparison: assessing their abilities and attributes against those of their peers. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

The Culture of Children (cont. ) n Peers can have both a positive and negative influence on one another. n 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! Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Moral Development n Peers send some strong messages (positive and negative) regarding morals within the context of friendship. n Examples: Protect your friends. Fit in. Don’t tell on a friend to an adult. Don’t break a contract with a friend. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Variations in Social Acceptance n Research has investigated why some kids seem to be more popular than others. n Popular kids are kind, trustworthy, and cooperative, and well-liked by peers. n Neglected kids are unpopular, but not disliked. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Social Acceptance (cont. ) n Aggressive-rejected kids are disliked due to antagonistic, confrontational behavior. n Withdrawn-rejected kids are disliked due to timid, anxious behavior. n Rejected kids often lack social cognition, the ability to understand social behavior. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

“You did that on purpose!” n Aggressive. Rejected children are likely to view an accidental event as purposeful. They are often “combat ready. ” PHOTODISC Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Perceptions Make a Difference Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Make it Real: Social Acceptance n 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? Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Friendships n Friendships are highly valued during middle childhood. Most 10 year olds have one “best” friend. n Older children tend to choose friends whose interests, values, and backgrounds are similar to their own. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Bullying n Bullying involves repeated, systematic efforts to inflict harm. n This includes physical attack, taunting, teasing, name calling. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Bullying: Who are the victims? n Victims tend to be withdrawn-rejected kids who have no friend to support them. n Some aggressive-rejected kids are also bullied (bully-victims). n Consequences of being bullied include anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Bullying: Who are the bullies? n 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 Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Gender Differences in Bullying n Male bullies tend to be above average in size, and use physical aggression. n Female bullies tend to use relational aggression: spreading rumors or embarrassing secrets, ridiculing victims through mockery of clothes or behavior. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Bullying: Helping the Victims n De-escalating a confrontation is a good strategy for girls (i. e. , “never let them see you sweat”); it may not work for boys. n Schools need to have comprehensive, anti -bullying programs in place. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

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

Families and Children n Research has documented the various types of families among U. S. children, known as family structures. n However, more important than who lives with a child is family function, the way a family works to meet needs of a child. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Key Components of Family Function n Provide food, clothing, and shelter n Encourage learning n Develop self-respect n Nurture peer relationships n Ensure harmony and stability Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Quiz: Family Functions n Which family functions might be addressed by this activity of shopping for shoes? KATHY MCLAUGHLIN / THE IMAGE WORKS Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

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

Make it Real: Family Structures n 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) Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

“Where’s the Beav? ” n In the 1950’s, nuclear family was the norm ¨ Example: n “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. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Is one family structure “best”? n 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 Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Putting it in Perspective… n However, just because a family is a nuclear family does not guarantee it is a healthy, happy one! n And, just because a family isn’t nuclear, doesn’t mean it can’t be a healthy, happy one! Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

A Happy “Blended” Family BILL ARON / PHOTOEDIT, INC. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Income and Family Functioning n The family stress model explores how financial difficulties can impair family functioning by placing stress upon the family. n Changes in income can cause parents to be anxious, depressed, or angry, affecting their ability to parent effectively. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Harmony and Stability n Children thrive in homes in which parents form a parental alliance, a harmonious relationship that support’s parenting efforts. n Blended and single parent families may have more difficulty achieving harmony and stability. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Harmony and Stability (cont. ) n Multiple transitions (e. g. , moving, separations, divorce, remarriage) are especially difficult for children to handle. n Some families may appear to be less “harmonious” (warm) than others, but the children still fare well, due to stability. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

The Nature of the Child n Latency is Freud’s term for middle childhood, during which emotional drives and psychosocial needs are quiet. n This allows the child time to acquire cognitive skills and cultural values. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

The Nature of the Child n Industry vs. inferiority is Erikson’s fourth stage of psychosocial crises, in which children see themselves as competent or incompetent. n In middle childhood, kids develop a more complex self concept, including more selfcriticism and self-consciousness. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

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

Coping with Life: Resilience n As shown in this chapter, children in middle childhood must learn to cope with the stresses of life, from bullying to divorce. n Resilience is the capacity to develop optimally by adapting positively to significant adversity. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Coping with Life: Resilience (cont. ) n 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 Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

Stressors: How many, how often? n Children can be affected by stress that is cumulative (e. g. , “daily hassles”) n How the child interprets the stress is important n Daily routines are key in coping with stress ¨ Example: after school activities Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

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

Social Support and Stress n Social support from parents, neighborhoods, friends, and religious faith can significantly buffer the impact of stress. n Religious faith and church involvement are psychologically protective, helping children reinterpret stressful experiences. Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13

“We support each other!” BOB CHILD / AP PHOTO Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7 th Edition, Chapter 13