Primary school children's ability to make friends deteriorating
A new study by Save the Children shows British primary children's experience of friendship in their early years is deteriorating.
Friday 4 May 2007
Childhood is often a time remembered by playground antics with friends, a knock about with a football, a game of hopscotch or a game of tag. However recent research by Save the Children shows that many children's experience of play and friendship in their early years is deteriorating.
We conducted a study with primary school teachers across Britain; teachers who witness primary school children's play and interaction with their peers on a daily basis.
A third of all of teachers interviewed noticed, since they had started teaching, an increase in pupils struggling to make friends, an increase in loneliness and a difficulty amongst children to relate to one another.
Over 70% of primary school teachers interviewed said they had witnessed a negative impact of modern day solitary pastimes such as internet chat rooms, MP3 players, computer games and mobile phones on the ability of children to make friends and interact with one another. Furthermore, 70% also said that they had witnessed exclusion bullying and verbal bullying amongst the children they taught.
Teachers were asked how they would rectify the bullying they witness and the most commonly cited answers were installing clear anti-bullying policies, moral / behavioural guidance, circle time and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Teachers were also asked how they would promote friendship within schools, more than a quarter highlighted the use of a school ethos / moral guidance as a way of promoting friendship and respect. The same proportion also highlighted the benefits of a buddy system. Circle time, PSHE, SEAL and friendship schemes like Friendship Friday were each mentioned by at least one in seven.
Friendship Friday, Save the Children's annual fundraising day, encourages children to spend time with their friends, to celebrate their friendships, make new friends and raise money for their peers around the world.
