Gary Ladd Relationships Quotations

Children who are very shy or anxious or overly aggressive often get caught up in bully-victim relationships that have negative impact on both children. It is also common for children with social difficulties to be excluded from everyday peer activities and experience feelings of discomfort, sadness and alienation. Adverse peer experiences can be stressful for children and, if persistent, can lead to feelings of anxiety , depression and loneliness.

Children begin their lives in the social world of their families, however, as they mature they are introduced to the social world of peers and spend increasing amounts of time with kids their own age. The types of relationships they form differ from those they have with parents and siblings and teach them unique skills that impact their development. Peer relationships are more balanced and the partners tend to bring similar levels of ability, reasoning and skill to their interactions.

To effectively change children's peer relationships - especially undesirable relationships or reputations that have been entrenched for many years - it may not be sufficient to increase children's social competence without also altering their peer and family environments. Children must be taught forgiveness and empathy, and must learn to be accepting of individual differences.