Jessica Brannan June 21, 2011 EDUC 225

Definition reject — vb 1. to refuse to accept, acknowledge, use, believe, etc 2. to throw out as useless or worthless; discard 3. to rebuff (a person)

Feelings that Rejection Brings  Loneliness  Dissatisfaction  Mistrust of friendships that they already have  Heightened sensitivity to failure  Depression  Anxiety

Effects of Rejection  Internalization of problems  Increased Aggression  Learned helplessness in social situations i.e., the student feels a lack of control over what happens and even when given that control back, the student will still choose the road of least resistance

Effects (cont.)  Poor social skills  Attention seeking  Withdrawal  Can lead to problems with maladjustment into adulthood

 Relationships with both peers and parents can be influential  Easier for children/adolescents to deal with rejection if it is not occurring in both contexts

Interventions  Praise all children (including rejected kids)  Teach social skills  Give consequences to those rejected children who respond with aggression  Foster feelings of respect in the classroom

 Sandstrom, M. J., Cillessen, A. H. N. and Eisenhower, A. (2003), Children's Appraisal of Peer Rejection Experiences: Impact on Social and Emotional Adjustment. Social Development, 12: 530–550. doi: /