The authors begin their commentary by saying that looking at the phenotypical characteristics of a school shooting, which focus on the perpetrators' experiences in school contexts seems to be overdue. In spite of methodological problems, the studies involved in the review seem to paint a clear picture with regard to social ostracism and harassment…

The authors begin their commentary by saying that Sommer, Leuschner, and Scheithauer (2014) did an admirable job of reviewing and integrating research on school shootings across a broad array of studies that relied on varied conceptualizations, operational definitions, coding strategies, and samples of shootings. The authors agree with Sommer et…

Fitting in and being liked by peers is important to children of all ages. It is unrealistic to expect such a young child to be satisfied with national or ethnic pride, at the price of having close friends. In the best school situations, children achieve a realistic balance between feeling they belong with their peer group and retaining pride and…

Presents a response to the three commentaries on the authors' original article, "Childhood Peer Relationships: Social Acceptance, Friendships, and Peer Networks" (this issue). Highlights those features of the commentaries the authors found most instructive, and that they hope researchers from developmental psychology, educational psychology, and…

Social support systems within academia, particularly those of mentor and colleague, are examined. Although both relationships are valued by academics, there is lack of consensus as to the characteristics and purposes of each. The mentor relationship can be defined as maintaining clear social and intellectual status differences. The value of this…

The author, born with a severe visual impairment, addresses the tendency of adolescents with visual impairments to try to hide the disability and "pass" as unimpaired with their peers. It is suggested that these adolescents be helped to find a comfortable balance between taking excessive risks and allowing visual impairment or blindness to be an…

Argues that the cultural analysis in Merten's (PS 524 830) article must consider meanings used by cultural participants to shape and evaluate their own and their peers' actions. Emphasizes emic categories as an opening to understanding rejection. Suggests that knowing more about variables will not necessarily further understanding of rejection…

Introduces the basic ideas of Jacob Moreno's (1934) historical model of sociometric judgment and discusses how developmental psychologists have used this model in child development research. Traces the development of sociometric techniques to study children's peer relations, and notes the limitations of contemporary sociometric techniques. (JPB)

Despite recognition that children with learning disabilities frequently lack social competence and peer acceptance, the focus of both diagnosis and remediation continues to be almost exclusively academic. To truly serve this population, it is necessary to attend to their social and emotional needs as well as their academic progress. (Author/VW)

Social cliques start around fourth or fifth grade and get worse through middle school and beyond. The cool vs. the uncool. Nerds, jocks, popular kids and outsiders--students are categorized by their peers and excluded by those different from them. Students who are not part of the "cool" crowd feel isolated and lonely and are often subjected to…

The Special Friends Program at Kainalu Elementary and Kailua Intermediate Schools uses a slide show to introduce children in regular education to their severely handicapped peers, then structures systematic interactions between the two groups. This interview with the program's founder, Chris Kube, discusses the programs' philosophy, development,…

Presents a response to Gifford-Smith and Brownell's "Childhood Peer Relationships: Social Acceptance, Friendships, and Peer Networks" (this issue). Focuses on the interaction of context, children's social skillfulness, and the type of peer relationship targeted as central elements in conceptualizing effective interventions. (Contains 12…

The author of EC 602 983 comments on his areas of research interest, speculates about the reasons why the social adjustment of kindergartners appears so different from that of older elementary school children, and examines the benefits of providing kindergarten experiences that maximize interactions among bright pupils. (JDD)

Children who are consistently ignored or disliked, especially those who make no friends at all, often have trouble succeeding in school. This article illustrates the scenario of a child who is just learning to play with others, but continues to face rejection from her classmates. The author provides tips for both teachers and parents that can…