Rough and tumble play in children: research and theory

Abstract

The studies referred to have all been done at just one or two schools, and there may be considerable variations between children of different cultural and social class backgrounds. Further research is needed in these areas. So far as we can tell at the moment, r&t is primarily a friendly and playful activity, which does not usually involve any intent to hurt, at least up to early adolescense. Its function remains unclear, but it appears to be part of normal development, and children who rough-and-tumble a lot are generally sociable but not especially aggressive. To this extent, there seems no reason to discourage r&t except in contexts where the noisy and vigorous activities might distract from other (e. g. educational) objectives. It does seem that the motivation behind r&t becomes more complex by adolescence, and the task of giving practical advice on the matter correspondingly more difficult. Finally some adults and some children may have difficulty in distinguishing r&t and agression. Some dissemination of, or training in, the cues which distinguish the two may be helpful.