Portrait of Rejected Children

Abstract

This study was conducted using qualitative research methodology. The research design included a basic qualitative research design based on an interpretive perspective. The research group consisted of 16 children selected from a classroom that was easily accessible and temporally accessible to the researcher. The data collection process included the classical sociometric situation classification system proposed by Coie et al. (1982). This enabled the categorization of children's social status into categories such as "rejected", "popular", and "neglected". Children were also asked to draw portraits of their "least favorite" friends. The drawings were analyzed in depth through one-on-one interviews with the children. The portraits were analyzed through content analysis and the characteristics of rejected children were transformed into themes. Accordingly, four main headings emerged as elements in children's drawings, undesired behaviors, social contact, and expression of emotions. Aggressive behaviors, disturbing behaviors, behaviors associated with autism, gender-based differences, and behaviors perceived as inappropriate in the social environment came to the forefront in the expressions of the rejected children. In addition, children reported that rejected children were often angry or had moods that were not clearly understood. Children also reflected their emotional states in their artworks and did not like to draw friends they did not prefer. In line with these results, some recommendations for institutions, teachers, and families regarding some social status are presented.

Keywords

• preschool education
• art in preschool education
• sociometry
• portrait drawing
• rejected children

References

1. Asher, S. R., & Coie, J. D. (1990). Peer rejection in childhood. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
2. Asscheman, J. S., He, J., Koot, S., Buil, J. M., Krabbendam, L., & van Lier, P. A. C. (2020). Classroom peer preferences and the development of sharing behavior with friends and others. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 44(5), 412-423. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025420911094
3. Blandon, A. Y., Calkins, S. D., Keane, S. P., & O’Brien, M. (2010). Contributions of child’s physiology and maternal behavior to children’s trajectories of temperamental reactivity. Developmental Psychology, 46(5), 1089-1102. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020678
4. Braun, S. S., & Davidson, A. J. (2017). Gender (non) conformity in middle childhood: A mixed methods approach to understanding gender-typed behavior, friendship, and peer preference. Sex Roles, 77(1), 16-29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-016-0693-z
5. Braun, S., S. (2014). Gender and Acceptance in Middle Childhood. Honors Program Theses. 7.
6. Carter, D. B., & Levy, G. D. (1988). Cognitive aspects of early sex-role development: the influence of gender schemas on preschoolers’ memories and preferences for sex-typed toys and activities. Child Development, 59(3), 782-792. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130576
7. Choi, D. H. & Kim, J. (2003). Practicing social skills training for young children with low peer acceptance: A cognitive-social learning model. Early Childhood Education Journal, 31 (1), 41-45. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025184718597
8. Chow, J. C., Broda, M. D., Granger, K. L., Washington-Nortey, M., Sayers, R., & Dunn, D. (2023). A sociometric approach to understanding characteristics of same-and other-gender friendships in young children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 62, 385-393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2022.09.009

9. Coie, J. D., & Cillessen, A. H. N. (1993). Peer rejection: Origins and effects on children’s development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2(3), 89-93. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10770946
10. Coie, J.D., Dodge, K.A. ve Coppotelli, H. (1982). Dimensions and types of social status: A crossage perspective. Developmental Psychology, 18(4), 557-570. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.18.4.557
11. Coie, J., Terry, R., Lenox, K., Lochman, J., & Hyman, C. (1995). Childhood peer rejection and aggression as predictors of stable patterns of adolescent disorder. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 697 - 713. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579400006799.
12. Çağdaş, A., & Seçer, Z. (2002). Çocuk ve ergende sosyal ve ahlak gelişimi. Ankara: Nobel Yayınevi.
13. Ekinci Vural, D. (2006). Okul öncesi eğitim programındaki duyuşsal ve sosyal becerilere yönelik hedelere uygun olarak hazırlanan aile katılımlı sosyal beceri eğitimi programının çocuklarda sosyal becerilerin gelişimine etkisi [The effects of family involved social skills training programme prepared in accordance with the goals related to affective and social skills in pre-school education programme, on children's social skill development] Master Thesis. Dokuz Eylül University.
14. Erol, A. &. Gülay Ogelman, H. (2020). Çocukların saldırganlık ve akran şiddetine maruz kalma düzeylerinin akranları tarafından sevilme düzeyleri üzerindeki yordayıcı etkisi. Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 11(1), 14-21. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1145356
15. Fox, J. & Schirrmacher, R. (2012). Çocuklarda Sanat ve Yaratıcılığın Gelişimi. (N. Aral ve G. Duman, Çev. Ed.). Ankara: Nobel Akademi. (2010).
16. Gray, D. E. (2002). ‘Everybody just freezes. Everybody is just embarrassed’: Felt and enacted stigma among parents of children with high functioning autism. Sociology of Health & Illness, 24(6), 734-749. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.00316
17. Gülay, H. (2009). Okul öncesi dönemde akran ilişkiler. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 12(22), Article 22.
18. Gülay Ogelman, H. (2018b). Sosyometrik teknikler. A. Önder (Ed.). Okul öncesi dönemde çocukları değerlendirme ve tanıma teknikleri içinde (s. 77-92). Ankara: Eğiten Kitap.
19. Halim, M. L. D., Martin, C. L., Andrews, N. C. Z., Zosuls, K. M., & Ruble, D. N. (2021). Enjoying each other’s company: gaining other-gender friendships promotes positive gender attitudes among ethnically diverse children. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 47(12), 1635-1653. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167220984407
20. Hall, H. R., & Graff, J. C. (2012). Maladaptive behaviors of children with autism: parent support, stress, and coping. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 35(3-4), 194-214. https://doi.org/10.3109/01460862.2012.734210
21. Hay, D. F. (2006). Yours and mine: toddler’s talk about possessions with familiar peers. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 24, 39-52. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151005X68880
22. Hooijsma, M., Huitsing, G., Kisfalusi, D., Dijkstra, J., Flache, A., & Veenstra, R. (2020). Multidimensional similarity in multiplex networks: Friendships between same- and cross-gender bullies and same- and cross-gender victims. Network Science, 8(1), 79-96. doi:10.1017/nws.2020.1
23. Keane, S. P., & Calkins, S. D. (2004). Predicting kindergarten peer social status from toddler and preschool problem behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32, 409-423. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JACP.0000030294.11443.41
24. King, R. A., Scott, K. E., Renno, M. P., & Shutts, K. (2020). Counterstereotyping can change children’s thinking about boys’ and girls’ toy preferences. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 191, 104753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104753
25. Koopman O. (2017). Phenomenology as a method in education research. In: science education and curriculum in south africa. curriculum studies worldwide (pp 1-24). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
26. Ladd, G. W. & Burgess, K. B. (2001). Do relational risks and protective factors moderate the linkages between childhood aggression and early psychological and school adjustment?. Child Development, 72 (5), 1579- 1601. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00366
27. Lowenfeld & Brittain (1987). Creative and mental growth. New York: Macmillan.
28. Menteş, H. S., & Arnas, Y. A. (2021). Okul öncesi kaynaştırma sınıfındaki otizmli bir çocuğun akran ilişkilerinin incelenmesi. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 52, Article 52. https://doi.org/10.53444/deubefd.926836
29. Merriam, S. B. (2015). Nitel araştırma: Desen ve uygulama için bir rehber. (S. Turan Çev.). Ankara: Nobel Yayınları. (2009).
30. Meti̇n, N., Şenol, B., & Yumuş, M. (2015). Okul öncesi eğitim sınıflarına kaynaştırılan otistik çocukların sosyometrik statülerinin incelenmesi. Hacettepe University Faculty of Health Sciences Journal.
31. Mikami, A. Y., Lerner, M. D., & Lun, J. (2010). Social context influences on children’s rejection by their peers. Child Development Perspectives, 4(2), 123-130.
32. Mills, G. E. (2003). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher. New Jersey: Pearson.
33. Monks, C., Ortega Ruiz, R., & Torrado Val, E. (2002). Unjustified aggression in preschool. Aggressive Behavior: Official Journal of the International Society for Research on Aggression, 28(6), 458-476. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.10032
34. Morgan, S. (1978). A descriptive analysis of maladjusted behavior in socially rejected children. Behavioral Disorders, 4, 23 - 30. https://doi.org/10.1177/019874297800400106.
35. Mulvey, K.L., Miedema, S.T., Stribing, A., Gibert, E & Brain, A. (2020). SKIPing Together: A motor competence intervention promotes gender-integrated friendships for young children. Sex Roles, 82, 550–557 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01079-z
36. Nergaard, K. (2020). “The heartbreak of social rejection”: Young children’s expressions about how they experience rejection from peers in ECEC. Child Care in Practice, 26(3), 226-242. https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2018.1543650
37. Odenbring, Y. (2014). Gender, order and discipline in early childhood education. International Journal of Early Childhood, 46(3), 345-356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-014-0121-x
38. Odom, S.L., Zercher, C., Li, S., Marquart, J.M., Sandall, S.R., & Brown, W.H. (2006). Social acceptance and rejection of preschool children with disabilities: A mixed-method analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 807-823.
39. Özdemir, S. (2014). 5-6 Yas grubu çocuklarin serbest zaman etkinliklerindeki oyun ve oyuncak tercihlerinin incelenmesi. Journal of Educational Science, 2(2), 1-15.
40. Özyürek, A. (2015). Okul öncesi eğitim kurumlarındaki öğrenme merkezlerinin çocukların serbest oyun davranışları üzerine etkisi. Karabuk University Journal of Institute of Social Sciences, 5(5-2), 125-125. https://doi.org/10.14230/joiss124
41. Paulus, M. (2017). How to Dax? Preschool children’s prosocial behavior, but not their social norm enforcement relates to their peer status. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01779
42. Paulus, M., & Moore, C. (2014). The development of recipient-dependent sharing behavior and sharing expectations in preschool children. Developmental Psychology, 50(3), 914-921. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034169
43. Pemberton, D., & Benady, D. (1973). Consciously rejected children. British Journal of Psychiatry, 123, 575 - 578. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.123.5.575.
44. Qualter, P., Brown, S. L., Munn, P., & Rotenberg, K. J. (2010). Childhood loneliness as a predictor of adolescent depressive symptoms: An 8-year longitudinal study. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 19(6), 493-501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-009-0059-y
45. Sabato, H., & Kogut, T. (2021). Sharing and belonging: Children’s social status and their sharing behavior with in-group and out-group members. Developmental Psychology, 57(12), 2082-2092. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001260
46. Saltali, N. D., & Arslan, E. (2013). Okul öncesi öğretmenlerin sınıflarında koydukları kurallar ve uygulayışları. İlköğretim Online, 12(4), 1032-1040.
47. Sezici, E., & Yiğit, D. (2019). Assessment of the relationship between toy preferences of preschool children and their play behaviors and social emotional states. Journal of Academic Research in Nursing. https://doi.org/10.5222/jaren.2019.07088
48. Töret, G., Özdemi̇r, S., Gürel Seli̇moğlu, Ö., & Özkubat, U. (2014). Otizmli çocuğa sahip olan ebeveynlerin çocuklarının günlük yaşam özellikleri, günlük oyun etkileşimleri, problem davranışlar ve iletişim stillerine ilişkin görüşleri. Ege Eğitim Dergisi, 15(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.12984/eed.12243
49. Van der Wilt, F., van Kruistum, C., van der Veen, C., & van Oers, B. (2016). Gender differences in the relationship between oral communicative competence and peer rejection: An explorative study in early childhood education. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 24(6), 807-817. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2015.1073507
50. Yıldırım, A. ve Şimşek, H. (2021). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri. Ankara: Seçkin Yayınevi.