Five hundred five children (267 female) enrolled in school years 5 and 6 in the UK (M = 9 years and 9 months) completed measures of trust beliefs in peers, best friendships, ascriptions of trustworthiness, and trustworthiness toward peers. Children's social disengagement, peer preference, and peer victimization were assessed by sociometric…

This study examined the effects of two social skills interventions, Sociodramatic Affective Relational Intervention (SDARI) and Skillstreaming, to compare their treatment mechanisms, social performance- and knowledge-training. A total of 13 youth with autism spectrum disorders were randomly assigned to 4 weeks of 1-day/week SDARI or…

One of the major aims for the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) within the mainstream classroom is to reduce prejudice and increase social interaction among children. Nevertheless, research has consistently shown that pupils with SEN remain less accepted by and may experience greater loneliness than their non-SEN peers. This…

Describes the use of sociograms and computer analysis of sociometric data in order to evaluate the progress of Springfield, Massachusetts, public schools toward racial integration. Also shows how these techniques can be used to encourage racial integration at the classroom level. (GC)

Conceptually distinct dimensions of classroom social position (number of mutual friendships, social network centrality, sociometric status) were examined in relation to each other and to peer-nominated behavioral reputation. Findings showed that number of friendships associated with prosocial skills; network centrality associated with prosocial…

From fourth graders rating their classmates, assigned 296 children sociometric classifications of popular, neglected, average, controversial, or rejected. Five years later, 267 of classified children were evaluated on academic performance, social behavior, and psychological adjustment. In general, children classified as rejected or controversial…

This study investigated the impact of different types of parental support on children's social integration in peer relationships in middle childhood. Subjects were 116 second- through fifth-grade children from an inner-city primary school in Berlin (West), who were interviewed about their friends. Sociometric tests were also conducted. The parents…

Forty second grade and 40 fifth grade elementary school children participated in a study to examine the relationship of three factors to the development of trust in children's peer relations: participation in a best friend relationship, social status, and changes in factors children consider when making judgments of trust. (RWB)

This study compared the social adjustment of abused and nonabused children, ages 4 to 11 years, and examined whether sociometric status and friendship quality differentially predict children's loneliness and teacher ratings of peer behavior. Thirty-five abused children from a structured residential treatment center and 43 nonabused children from…