Children's Peer Relations

The relationships children form with each other are important not only to childhood happiness but also to healthy adult functioning. Originally published in 1998, Phillip Slee and Ken Rigby presented an up-to-date overview of the latest findings in this area at the time, with reviews of current theory, research and intervention strategies across a wide range of topics from an international group of researchers and clinicians. Children's Peer Relations includes sections on peer status, gender and ethnicity, disability, illness and loneliness with particular attention to the question of how children's peer relations can best be described and evaluated. There is also critical examination of methods of intervention to improve children's relations with others in school, family and community. Children's Peer Relations provided social researchers, school counsellors, psychologists and students of child development with a comprehensive handbook on this crucial topic. Today it can be read in its historical context.

Phillip T. Slee is Professor in Human Development (Emeritus) in the School of Education in the College of Education Psychology and Social Work at Flinders University of South Australia. He is a trained teacher and registered psychologist. His publications are in the fields of child development, bullying, school violence and wellbeing. He has extensive research and statistical analysis skills including multi-level modelling and qualitative data analysis. He has a particular interest in the practical and policy implications of his research. His research teams have undertaken national and international consultancies. His website is http://www.caper.com.au Ken Rigby, BSc. (Econ) PhD, OAM, is an adjunct professor of social psychology at the University of South Australia, engaged since 1969 as a lecturer in Psychology and as a social researcher. Before that, he was employed in schools for 10 years as a schoolteacher, first in England and then in Australia. For his research into school bullying and engagement with schools, he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2021. He has published widely in academic journals (over 100 publications) and 23 books including an autobiography, Oddly Enough, in 2023.

List of Contributors. Preface. Acknowledgements. Part I: Culture and Family 1. Peer Contact Patterns, Parenting Practices, and Preschoolers' Social Competence in China, Russia, and the United States Craig H. Hart, Chongming Yang, David A. Nelson, Shenghua Jin, Nina Bazarskaya, Larry Nelson, Xinzi Wu and Peixia Wu 2. Further Explorations of Family-Peer Connections: The Role of Parenting Practices and Parenting Style in Children's Development of Social Competence Jacquelyn Mize, Alan Russell and Gregory S. Pettit Part II: Gender and Ethnicity 3. Gender and Bullying in Schools Ken Rigby 4. Aggression in the Social Relations of School-Aged Girls and Boys Christina Salmivalli, Ari Kaukianen and Kirsti Lagerspetz 5. The Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Children's Peer Relations Julie Ann Robinson Part III: Disability/Illness/Isolation 6. The Development of Friendships and the Puzzle of Autism Verity Bottroff 7. Social Skills and Peer Relationships of Siblings of Children with Disabilities: Parental and Family Linkages Barbara L. Mandleco, Susanne Frost Olsen, Clyde C. Robinson, Elaine Sorensen Marshall and Mary Kay McNeilly-Choque 8. Aggression at School. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Peer Relations Peter Randall 9. Peer Relationships of Children with Chronic Illness Rosalyn H. Shute 10. Isolated Children, Bullying and Peer Group Relations Keith Sullivan Part IV: Peer Status 11. The Location and Arrangement of Peer Contacts: Links with Friendship Initiation Knowledge in 4- to 7-Year-Olds Kym Irving 12. Who Says? Associations Among Peer Relations and Behaviour Problems as a Function of Source of Information, Sex of Child and Analytic Strategy Ann Sanson, Sue Finch, Elizabeth Matjacic and Gregor Kennedy 13. Bullying Amongst Australian Primary School Students: Some Barriers to Help-Seeking and Links with Sociometric Status Phillip T. Slee 14. Australian Schoolchildren's Perceptions of Television Representations of Bullying and Victimization Marian Tulloch Part V: Intervention 15. An Overview of Prevention and Treatment Programmes for Developing Positive Peer Relations Helen McGrath 16. Developing a Social Skills Programme for Use in School Colin MacMullin 17. Pride, Shame and Empathy Among Peers: Community Conferencing as Transformative Justice in Education David B. Moore 18. Children's Comments About Their Social Skills Training Barry H. Schneider and Roland W. B. Blonk. References. Name Index. Subject Index.