This study investigated the social relationships formed in two self-contained classrooms of a residential school by examining students' social network centrality, sociometric status, playmate associations, and peer assessments of behavioral characteristics and personal attributes. The results of the social network centrality analyses indicated that all students were integrated into their classrooms' social structure. Students who affiliated in peer clusters tended to be similar on certain personal attributes such as gender, age, or interests in specific recreational and leisure activities. Students who had the highest levels of social network centrality generally were older and had higher levels of peer-assessed prosocial behavior, athletic ability, and sociometric status than students with lower levels of social network centrality. Implications concerning social interventions for children with emotional and behavioral disorders are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the teacher's report form and 1991 profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
2.
Bukowski, W. M., & Newcomb, A. F. (1984). Stability and determinants of sociometric status and friendship choice: A longitudinal perspective. Developmental Psychology, 20, 941–952.
3.
Cairns, R. B., Cairns, B. D., Neckerman, H. J., Gest, S., & Gariepy, J-L. (1988). Social networks and aggressive behavior: Peer support or peer rejection. Developmental Psychology, 24, 815–823.
4.
Cairns, R. B., Gariepy, J-L, & Kindermann, T. (1990). Identifying social clusters in natural settings. Unpublished manuscript, Social Development Laboratory, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
5.
Cairns, R. B., Perrin, J. E., & Cairns, B. D. (1985). Social structure and social cognition in early adolescence: Affiliative patterns. Journal of Early Adolescence, 5, 339–355.
6.
Cantrell, V. L., & Prinz, R. J. (1985). Multiple perspectives of rejected, neglected, and accepted children: Relation between socio-metric status and behavioral characteristics. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 884–889.
7.
Coie, J. D., Dodge, K., & Coppotelli, H. (1982). Dimensions and types of social status: A cross-age perspective. Developmental Psychology, 18, 557–571.
8.
Coie, J. D., Dodge, K., & Kupersmidt, J. (1990). Peer group behavior and social status. In S. R. Asher & J. D. Coie (Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood (pp. 17–59). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
9.
Dodge, K. A., Schlundt, D. C., Schocken, I., & Delugach, J. D. (1983). Social competence and children's sociometric status: The role of peer group entry strategies. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 29, 230–246.
10.
Edwards, C. A. (1990). Leadership, social networks, and personal attributes in school age girls. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
11.
Farmer, T. W., & Cairns, R. B. (1991). Social networks and social status in emotionally disturbed children. Behavioral Disorders, 16, 288–298.
12.
Gottlieb, G. (1991). Experiential canalization of behavioral development: Theory. Developmental Psychology, 27, 4–13.
13.
Hymel, S., & Rubin, K. H. (1985). Children with peer relationships and social skills problems: Conceptual, methodological, and developmental issues. In G. J. Whitehurst (Ed.), Annals of Child Development. Vol. 2 (pp. 251–282). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
14.
Kim, J., & Mueller, C. W. (1978). Factor analysis: Statistical methods and practical issues. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
15.
Knitzer, J., Steinberg, Z., & Fleisch, B. (1990). At the schoolhouse door: An examination of programs and policies for children with emotional and behavioral problems. New York: Bank Street College of Education.
16.
Ladd, G. W. (1983). Social networks of popular, average, and rejected children in school settings. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 29, 283–307.
17.
Magnusson, D., & Cairns, R. B. (in press). Developmental science: Principles and illustrations. In R. B. Cairns & G. Elder (Eds.), Developmental science: Proceedings from the Carolina Consortium on Human Development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
18.
Maheady, L., & Sainato, D. (1984). Social interaction patterns of high and low status behaviorally disordered students within self-contained classroom settings: A pilot investigation. Behavioral Disorders, 10, 20–26.
19.
Neckerman, H. J. (1990, March). Ontogeny of friendships: Stability and change. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Conference on Human Development, Richmond, VA.
20.
Pekarik, E., Prinz, R., Liebert, D., Weintraub, S., & Neale, J. (1976). The Pupil Evaluation Inventory: A sociometric technique for assessing children's social behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 4, 83–97.
21.
Sameroff, A. J. (1983). Developmental systems: Contexts and evolution. In P. H. Mussen & W. Kessen (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology (Vol. 1, 4th ed., pp. 237–294). New York: Wiley.
22.
Steinberg, Z., & Knitzer, J. (1992). Classrooms for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed students: Facing the challenge. Behavioral Disorders, 17, 145–156.
23.
Stuart, C. (1993). Discourse and other behavioral characteristics of children with behavioral and emotional handicaps who form and maintain peer friendships. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
