The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence
by Kathleen Stassen Berger
Seventh Edition
Chapter 13
The School Years:
Psychosocial
Development
Slides prepared by Kate Byerwalter, Ph.D.,
Grand Rapids Community College
Make it Real: The Peer Group

Think back to middle childhood:
 What
kinds of activities did you do with
your friends?
 How
much adult supervision was there?
 How
did you handle conflicts?
 Was
there a “leader” of the group?
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
The Culture of Children

Kids learn to
negotiate,
share, and
compromise
with peers.
KYUYA KAWAZAWA / HAGA / THE IMAGE WORKS
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
The Culture of Children (cont.)

The culture of children refers to the
habits, styles, values, and rules that set
children apart from adult society.

Examples: secret “clubs,” “cootie
catchers,” rules for outdoor games, clothes
worn, language used, etc.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
The Culture of Children (cont.)

Fitting in with one’s peers is a major
priority during middle childhood.

Kids engage in social comparison:
assessing their abilities and attributes
against those of their peers.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
The Culture of Children (cont.)

Peers can have both a positive and
negative influence on one another.

Immigrant children may rely heavily on
peers in the dominant culture to teach
them language and social customs.
 This
may or may not please the parents!
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Moral Development

Peers send some strong messages
(positive and negative) regarding morals
within the context of friendship.

Examples: Protect your friends. Fit in.
Don’t tell on a friend to an adult. Don’t
break a contract with a friend.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Variations in Social Acceptance

Research has investigated why some kids
seem to be more popular than others.

Popular kids are kind, trustworthy, and
cooperative, and well-liked by peers.

Neglected kids are unpopular, but not
disliked.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Social Acceptance (cont.)

Aggressive-rejected kids are disliked due
to antagonistic, confrontational behavior.

Withdrawn-rejected kids are disliked due
to timid, anxious behavior.

Rejected kids often lack social cognition,
the ability to understand social behavior.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
“You did that on purpose!”

AggressiveRejected children
are likely to view
an accidental event
as purposeful.
They are often
“combat ready.”
PHOTODISC
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Perceptions Make a Difference
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Make it Real: Social Acceptance

Can you recall a child who was rejected
by peers during your schooling? What
factors contributed to his/her disliking?
What could have been done to help
him/her?
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Friendships

Friendships are highly valued during
middle childhood. Most 10 year olds have
one “best” friend.

Older children tend to choose friends
whose interests, values, and backgrounds
are similar to their own.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Bullying

Bullying involves repeated, systematic
efforts to inflict harm.

This includes physical attack, taunting,
teasing, name calling.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Bullying: Who are the victims?

Victims tend to be withdrawn-rejected
kids who have no friend to support them.

Some aggressive-rejected kids are also
bullied (bully-victims).

Consequences of being bullied include
anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Bullying: Who are the bullies?

Contributing factors to bullying include:
 Inborn
brain abnormalities or genetic impulses
 Insecure
attachment
 Stressful
home life
 Hostile
siblings
 Lack
of knowledge of how to control
aggressive impulses
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Gender Differences in Bullying

Male bullies tend to be above average in
size, and use physical aggression.

Female bullies tend to use relational
aggression: spreading rumors or
embarrassing secrets, ridiculing victims
through mockery of clothes or behavior.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Bullying: Helping the Victims

De-escalating a confrontation is a good
strategy for girls (i.e., “never let them see
you sweat”); it may not work for boys.

Schools need to have comprehensive,
anti-bullying programs in place.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Families and Children

Research has documented the various
types of families among U.S. children,
known as family structures.

However, more important than who lives
with a child is family function, the way a
family works to meet needs of a child.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Key Components of Family
Function

Provide food, clothing, and shelter

Encourage learning

Develop self-respect

Nurture peer relationships

Ensure harmony and stability
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Quiz: Family Functions

Which family
functions might
be addressed
by this activity
of shopping for
shoes?
KATHY MCLAUGHLIN / THE IMAGE WORKS
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Make it Real: Family Structures

Share with a partner the “structure” of your
family. How do you feel about having that
family structure?
(Note: say “pass” if you don’t wish to share)
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
“Where’s the Beav?”

In the 1950’s, nuclear family was the norm
 Example:

“Leave it to Beaver” TV show
Today, only a minority (37%) of U.S.
children will live with both biological
parents from birth to age 18.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Is one family structure “best”?

Children from nuclear families are often at
an advantage, but the reason may be
family function, not structure.
 Higher
family income
 Parents
tend to be psychologically healthy
 Biological
parents have a genetic impulse to
protect their own offspring
 Parental
“alliance” to raise kids
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Putting it in Perspective…

However, just because a family is a
nuclear family does not guarantee it is a
healthy, happy one!

And, just because a family isn’t nuclear,
doesn’t mean it can’t be a healthy, happy
one!
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
A Happy “Blended” Family
BILL ARON / PHOTOEDIT, INC.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Income and Family Functioning

The family stress model explores how
financial difficulties can impair family
functioning by placing stress upon the
family.

Changes in income can cause parents to
be anxious, depressed, or angry, affecting
their ability to parent effectively.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Harmony and Stability

Children thrive in homes in which parents
form a parental alliance, a harmonious
relationship that support’s parenting
efforts.

Blended and single parent families may
have more difficulty achieving harmony
and stability.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Harmony and Stability (cont.)

Multiple transitions (e.g., moving,
separations, divorce, remarriage) are
especially difficult for children to handle.

Some families may appear to be less
“harmonious” (warm) than others, but the
children still fare well, due to stability.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
The Nature of the Child

Latency is Freud’s term for middle
childhood, during which emotional drives
and psychosocial needs are quiet.

This allows the child time to acquire
cognitive skills and cultural values.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
The Nature of the Child

Industry vs. inferiority is Erikson’s fourth
stage of psychosocial crises, in which
children see themselves as competent or
incompetent.

In middle childhood, kids develop a more
complex self concept, including more selfcriticism and self-consciousness.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Coping with Life: Resilience

As shown in this chapter, children in middle
childhood must learn to cope with the
stresses of life, from bullying to divorce.

Resilience is the capacity to develop
optimally by adapting positively to
significant adversity.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Coping with Life: Resilience (cont.)

Key parts of the definition of resilience:
 It
is a dynamic trait, varying with time
 It
is not the absence of pathology, but a
positive adaptation to stress
 The
stress may vary in significance
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Stressors: How many, how often?

Children can be affected by stress that is
cumulative (e.g., “daily hassles”)

How the child interprets the stress is
important

Daily routines are key in coping with stress
 Example:
after school activities
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
Social Support and Stress

Social support from parents,
neighborhoods, friends, and religious faith
can significantly buffer the impact of stress.

Religious faith and church involvement are
psychologically protective, helping children
reinterpret stressful experiences.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13
“We support each other!”
BOB CHILD / AP PHOTO
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 13