Studies of peer relations among children living in rural developing communities are rare. This study examined peer status in 168 children (ages 6—12) living in a rural community in a developing community, St Vincent, the West Indies. The present study used ANOVA to test hypotheses about the relations between peer status and academic scores and teacher-ratings of delinquency, learning problems, conduct and sensitivity. Using a peer nomination procedure, children were classified into four groups [i.e. rejected (28), popular (24), average (85), controversial (8) and neglected (23)]. The results of this study revealed that rejected children had significantly lower academic scores than popular children even when learning problems and age were controlled. Unlike children in developed societies, rejected children did not have significantly higher teacher ratings of sensitivity, delinquency and conduct problems. Cultural considerations and future research directions are also discussed.
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