Friendship is a developmentally significant relationship in childhood and adolescence that contributes to socioemotional, social-cognitive, and psychological development and well-being. It is a dyadic relationship based on mutual affection, with both friends thinking of each other as friends. Despite this definitional understanding of the dyadic…

Research indicates that social isolation among youth is on the rise and not only impacts a child's self-esteem, but also plays a key role in health and academic performance. A 2013 study published in the American Journal of Public Health linked social isolation with depression, loss of sleep, eating disorders, and poor cardiovascular health. In…

This paper discusses the key role of social and emotional learning programmes for children with Learning Disability (LD). The first part of the paper discusses the difficulties students with learning disability may encounter in their education, such as issues related to peer group acceptance, friendship and social isolation, low self-efficacy and…

Children who are intellectually gifted are often emotionally mature for their ages. For a variety of reasons--including an unrewarding curriculum, preference for others of the same intellectual ability, or a feeling of social rejection--this maturity is sometimes masked at school. This can lead to what the author calls a "forced-choice" dilemma.…

In this paper I draw on ethnographic observation data taken from a school-based study of two groups of 12-13-year-old pupils identified as high achieving and popular to explore how relations between teachers and pupils are mediated and constituted through the spectre of neoliberal values and sensibilities--zero-sum thinking, individualism and…

Students learn best when they feel accepted, included and have positive social relationships. Over a period of two school years, four students with disabilities told their stories of the reality of their secondary school experiences including their experiences of friendships and social relationships in their classrooms and out-of-class settings.…

In order for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to find acceptance and to develop friendships similar to those of their typical peers, they must be provided with the opportunities to do so. With appropriate planning and supports, inclusive classrooms can provide such opportunities for children with ASD, just as they do for typical…

Social isolation and the harassment of students with disabilities are closely related problems that occur in schools throughout the country. Often, both problems begin in middle school. Social isolation and harassment can feed each other--without meaningful interaction with students with disabilities, other students are more likely to make hurtful…

Examines the developmental investigations of children's friendships and children without friends, explaining how they challenge the current conceptualization of social interventions and their supporting policies. Discusses factors that may contribute to friendlessness including behaviors that disrupt interactions with peers, difficulties with…

The study examined the social relations of 23 third-grade children with learning disabilities (LD) and 154 without LD. LD children were less accepted but not more rejected by peers than nonLD children. Significant group differences in friendship concepts and levels of reasoning about friendship and conflict resolution were also found. (Author/DB)

This case study describes the development of a model peer support program during the school reintegration of an adolescent girl who sustained a traumatic brain injury. A series of meetings was held with the girl's social network to provide information, guidance, acknowledgement of friends' feelings, interventions for behavior problems, and…

Analyzes the activities and attitudes of a clique of junior high school girls that were both mean and popular. Defines meanness as an undifferentiated characterization for acts whose intent or result was to hurt someone emotionally. Examines the connections between female competition, conflict, and popularity in this context. (MJP)