Although rejection by peers during childhood has been associated with many kinds of adjustment problems, relatively little is known about factors that increase children's vulnerability to peer rejection. In this study, we examined the relations of family background and recent life events to peer status among 949 elementary school children, focusing especially on rejected status. Peer status was assessed using the sociometric methods and techniques for classification described by Coie et al. (1982). Family background variables and life events were assessed by reports of the children's teachers (Study 1) and parents (Study 2). As expected, results showed that children who came from certain family backgrounds and who experienced certain life events were rejected by their peers more often than other children. In particular, chronic family background variables such as low income and acute life stresses such as parental separation or divorce contributed to the probability that a child would be rejected by peers. The probability of rejection by peers was greater for children subjected to relatively high levels of both chronic and acute life stresses.
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