Aggressive and Withdrawn Behaviour at School through the Lens of Teachers and Peers: A Qualitative Study

TL;DR

This study explores how teachers perceive children with aggressive or withdrawn behavior and how these children are viewed by their peers.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into teacher perceptions and peer status of children with aggressive or withdrawn behaviors in school settings.

Findings

Children with aggressive behavior were described as hostile and rule-breaking.

Children with withdrawn behavior were seen as introverted and isolated.

Both groups were often perceived as socially isolated by teachers.

Abstract

We explored teachers’ understanding of children with aggressive or socially withdrawn behaviour in their classes and we associated our findings with a status of rejected, neglected, or popular, as provided by peer nominations. Five kindergarten and elementary school teachers scored their 143 pupils with the Child Behaviour Checklist for Withdrawal and Aggression. Subsequently, only those children whose scores were 1 standard deviation above the mean for withdrawal or for aggression were included in the final sample (n = 46; Mage = 6.5 years, SD = 1.7; age range = 4–9 years). The final sample included 31 children (21.67%; females = 16) who were assessed as displaying withdrawn behaviour, and 15 (10.48%; females = 5) displaying aggressive behaviour. An open-ended semi-structured interview was administered to teachers, who described children with socially withdrawn behaviour as introverted and untalkative, children with aggressive behaviour as hostile, rule-breaking and highly active, and children with socially withdrawn or aggressive behaviour as isolated, even though different reasons were provided. The results of the sociometric status in children with socially withdrawn or aggressive behaviour are discussed.