The Relationship Of Child Neglect With Social Behavior And Peer Acceptance

Child neglect is a worldwide problem. As the progress of the social civilization, it has gradually become a hot issue in the field of international child research, and many foreign scholars have paid widespread attention to the field of child neglect. Neglect often brings irreplaceable psychological trauma to children, resulting in personality, psychology and behavior disorder, affecting the normal development of them. At present, lots of studys on child neglect have been reported in foreign countries. However, there were few special study domestically. We do not know enough about the general situation and negative consequences of child neglect, so the present study tried to examine the characteristics of child neglect and the relationship among child neglect, social behavior and peer acceptance. Meanwhile, researchers inferred that, social behavior has mediating the effect of child neglect on peer acceptance.Peer nomination and questionnaire method were applied in this survey.824 children from grade 4 to 5 in three primary schools of Harbin were investigated (503 children were participated in study of social behavior and peer acceptance).The results showed:1.259 children (31.4% of the total) reported neglect experiences. The prevalence of emotional neglect, educational neglect, physical/supervisory neglect were 36.5%,35.4%, 36.4% respectively. There were significant gender difference on scores of child neglect, male students scored higher than female students; There was not significant grade difference on scores of neglect.2.Significantly negative correlation was found between child neglect (educational neglect, physical/supervisory neglect) and prosocial behavior; significantly positive correlation was found bewteen child neglect (emotional neglect, educational neglect) and victimization, child neglect (physical/supervisory neglect) and withdrawal behavior. Children who had been neglected had different scores of social behavior. they scored higher victimization, higher withdrawal behavior and lower prosocial behavior than the children who had not been neglected. Regression analysis showed that Child neglect were positively predicted the extent of victimization; physical/supervisory neglect were positively predicted the extent of withdrawal behavior; Educational neglect negatively predicted children's prosocial behavior.3.Significantly negative correlation was found bewteen child neglect (educational neglect, physical/supervisory neglect) and peer acceptance; significantly positive correlation was found bewteen chid neglect (educational neglect) and peer rejection. Children who had been neglected had different scores of peer acceptance. they scored lower peer acceptance than the children who had not been neglected. Regression analysis showed that physical/supervisory neglect were negatively predicted the peer acceptance; Educational neglect positively predicted children's peer rejection.4.Results from SEM indicated that child neglect has impact on peer acceptance through 3 type mediator effect:neglect-victimization-peer acceptance, physical/ supervisory neglect-withdrawal behavior-peer acceptance, educational neglect-prosocial behavior-peer rejection. There was significant gender difference on the latter two models, that is, they are more suitable for male students.