Associations between peer relations in childhood and adversity

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the sociometric status of rejection or popularity of children in the peer group and their family background and life events. The subjects were black South African children aged between 8 years and 12 years and 3 months, living in a semi‐urban area in one of the former “homelands”. The children's peer status was assessed using the sociometric method developed by Newcomb and Bukowsky #op1983#cp. Out of six hundred and thirty‐one children tested, 29 were nominated as popular and 29 as rejected. The families were interviewed regarding their background and the children's recent life events. Results showed that different family backgrounds were associated with the children's status popularity or rejection in the peer group. It was also shown that the experience of recent stressful life events is associated with peer rejection in childhood. The main findings of this study are that children encountering difficulties in the peer group came from families experiencing multiple chronic and acute stressors and that the effects of multiple adversities on children's peer relationships were cumulative.