1. 1 Psychosocial Development in Middle Childhood Chapter 10 © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

2. 2 Did You Know… The number of father-only families in the US has quadrupled since 1970? Children in single-parent households do better on achievement tests in countries with supportive family policies? Children reared by gay or lesbian parents have been found to be as psychologically healthy as children reared by heterosexual parents? © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

3. 3 There are few significant differences in adjustment between adopted and nonadopted children? Research supports a cause-and-effect relationship between viewing media violence and aggressive behavior? Patterns of bullying and victimization may become established as early as kindergarten? © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

4. 4 The Developing Self The cognitive growth that takes place during middle childhood enables children to develop more complex concepts of themselves and to gain in emotional understanding. © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

5. 5 Neo-Piagetian: Representational Systems Representational Systems: Broad, inclusive self-concepts that integrate different aspects of the self – ‘I am really smart in math, but I’m having troubles in English.’ © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

6. 6 Representational Systems Example: – “At school I’m feeling pretty smart in certain subjects, Language Arts and Social Studies.” says 8 year old Lisa. “I got A’s in these subjects on my last report card and was really proud of myself. But I’m feeling really dumb in Math and Science, particularly when I see how well the other kids are doing…I still like myself as a person, because Math and Science are just not that important to me. How I look and how popular I am are more important.” © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

7. 7 Self-Esteem Erikson’s crisis of industry v. inferiority The virtue of ‘competence’ – Successful resolution of crisis – Seeing the self as able to master skills and complete tasks Includes social support from family and friends © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

8. 8 Emotional Growth & Prosocial Behavior By age 7 or 8, children are aware of feeling shame, guilt and pride. They are aware of their culture’s rules for expressing emotion. Emotional self-regulation involves voluntary control over emotions, attention, and behavior. © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

9. 9 Emotional Growth & Prosocial Behavior Children learn what makes them angry, fearful, sad, etc and how other people act towards these emotions. This allows them to learn to behave accordingly. When parents respond with disapproval or punishment anger and fear may become more intense or children may become anxious over these emotions. © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

10. 10 Family Atmosphere Children exposed to parental discord had high levels of o Internalizing behaviors: anxiety, fearfulness and depression o Externalizing behaviors: aggressiveness, fighting, disobedience and hostility © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

11. 11 Parenting Issues in Middle Childhood Coregulation: develops during middle childhood – Parent and child share power – Parent: General supervision – Child: Self-regulation Discipline – Inductive techniques – point out actions to child – ‘Hitting Jermaine hurts him and makes him feel bad.’ © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

12. 12 Working Mothers In 2005, 70% of U.S. mothers with children under 18 were in the workforce. The more satisfied a mother is with her employment, the more effective she is as a parent. © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

13. 13 Effects of Working Mothers Impact of mother’s work depends on: Whether she works part- or full-time Why she is working Partner support SES Type of care before and after school © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

14. 14 Working Mothers 9% of children and 23% of early adolescents are reported to be in self-care, regularly caring for themselves at home without adult supervision. © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

15. 15 Poverty and Parenting Approximately 18 percent of all U.S. children under age 18 live in poverty. Poor children are more likely to: – Have emotional and behavioral problems – Suffer cognitively and scholastically © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

16. 16 Adjusting to Divorce Divorce causes stress for all family members. First, there is the stress of conflict. Then, the stress of one parent departing (usually the father). Adjustment of children depends upon: – The level of parental conflict before the divorce – Child’s age or maturity Younger children experience more anxiety but adapt faster – Gender and temperament Boys have a harder time adjusting – Psychosocial development before divorce © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

17. 17 Custody and Visitation Issues In most divorce cases, mother gets custody. Children do better if the parent who does not get custody remains involved. Many children of divorce state that losing contact with the father is one of the most painful aspects of divorce Joint custody  Custody shared by both parents  Beneficial, if parents can cooperate Joint legal custody  Parents share the rights to make decisions about child’s welfare Joint physical custody  Child lives part-time with each parent © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

18. 18 Long-term Effects of Divorce Most children adjust reasonably well. However, divorce increases risk of: – Antisocial behavior – Difficulties with authority figures – Dropping out of school – Emotional or psychological problems (anxiety) © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

19. 19 One-Parent Families © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

20. 20 One-Parent Families Result from divorce, separation, unwed parenthood, or death. Single-parent families in the US have more than doubled since 1970. 5% of single-parent families are headed by a father Single parents often lack resources. © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

21. 21 Cohabiting Families Similar to two-parent, but tend to be more disadvantaged o Less income o Less education o More mental health problems More likely to break up than married families © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

22. 22 Stepfamilies Adjustment may be stressful. May include relatives of up to 4 adults Child’s loyalty to an absent parent may interfere with bonding to stepparent. Findings on the impact of remarriage on children are mixed. © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

23. 23 Gay or Lesbian Families An estimated 9 million children have at least one homosexual parent. Research shows NO special concerns in terms of children’s physical, cognitive or emotional development. Children of homosexuals are no more likely to be homosexual than children of heterosexuals. © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

24. 24 Adoptive Families Adoption is found in all cultures throughout history 60 percent of adoptions are by stepparents or relatives, usually grandparents. Increase in ‘open adoptions’ – Parties share information or have direct contact U.S. adoptions of foreign-born children quadrupled from 1978 to 2001. © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

25. 25 Special Challenges of Adoptive Families Integrating child into the family Decisions about contacting biological parents Foreign adoptions do not appear to entail any more problems than domestic adoptions © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

26. 26 Sibling Relationships Roles and relationships are determined by: Spacing Birth order Gender Culture © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

27. 27 Effects of Peer Relationships Positive – Develop sociability and intimacy skills – Learn leadership and communication skills – Gain a sense of belonging Negative – Cliques – Reinforce prejudice – Foster anti-social tendencies – pressure to conform © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

28. 28 Stages of Friendship StageDescription Momentary Friendship Egocentric – ‘She lives on my street’ One-way Assistance Unilateral – A ‘good friend’ does what you want. Two-wayReciprocal – Give and take relationship IntimateMutual – Friendship has life of own InterdependentA good friendship takes commitment © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

29. 29 What Do You Feel Causes Certain Children to be Unpopular? © 2008 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

30. 30 Reasons Children May be Unpopular Aggressive Hyperactive Inattentive or withdrawn Insensitive to other children’s feelings Do not adapt well to new situations © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

31. 31 Types of Aggression Instrumental or Proactive Aggression – View coercion as an effective means to get their way Hostile Aggression – Aim is to hurt the victim – Often takes relational (social), rather than overt (physical), form – Aggressors may have ‘hostile attribution bias’ See others as trying to hurt them © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

32. 32 Media and Aggression 6 out of 10 TV shows portray violence. – Usually glamorized, trivialized or glorified Most studies support a causal relationship between media violence and aggressive behavior. Virtual violence (video games) may have a stronger effect than passive media (TV). © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

33. Bullies and Victims Bullying - Aggression deliberately directed against a particular target Victims are usually: – Weak – Vulnerable – Defenseless © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc 29

34. 34 Patterns of Bullying Become established as early as kindergarten Bullying increases during middle school and then declines Temporary rise as social networks form – Especially with middle-school boys Boys tend to use overt aggression Girls tend to use relational aggression © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

35. 35 How Can We Prevent Bullying? © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

36. 36 Conduct Disruptive Disorders Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) – A pattern of defiance, disobedience, and hostility towards authority figures lasting at least 6 months and going beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior – Patterns persist past age 8 Conduct disorder (CD) – A persistent repetitive pattern of aggressive antisocial acts, such as truancy, setting fires, habitual lying, fighting bullying, theft, vandalism, assaults, alcohol and drug use – Some 11 to 13 year olds progress from CD to criminal violence and by age 17 are serious offenders

37. 37 Anxiety or Mood Disorders School phobia/social phobia Separation anxiety disorder Generalized anxiety disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder Childhood depression © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

38. 38 Treatment Techniques Individual psychotherapy Family therapy Behavior therapy or modification Art therapy Play therapy © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

39. 39 Drug Therapy Antidepressants Stimulants Tranquilizers Antipsychotic medications © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

40. 40 Stresses of Modern Life Today’s child is the ‘hurried child’ Exposed to adult problems, like violence on TV and in real life Children are expected to: – Succeed in school – Compete in sports – Meet parents’ emotional needs © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

41. 41 The Resilient Child Children who maintain composure under challenge or threat Children who ‘bounce back’ from trauma Protective Factors:  Good family relationships  Good cognitive functioning © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

42. 42 Traits of Resilient Children Personality and Temperament Reduced Risk Factors – Low parental discord – No criminal father – No foster care Compensating Experiences – Supportive school environment – Successful experiences in school or social life © 2009 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc