[Why are students lonely? Factors influencing loneliness in the school context].
A significant amount of children and adolescents consider themselves as lonely because their essential social needs are not sufficiently met. The present study analyzes the contributions of group acceptance reflected by the social status, of social behaviors, reciprocal friendships, and family climate to the frequency and intensity of loneliness. About 1200 students of 6th and 8th grade of secondary school in Vienna were asked about their social experiences in school. Peers filled up questionnaires about the behavior of these students. A major part of the 11- and 13-year-old students had negative social experiences in school and about 15% were suffering from these experiences and considered themselves as lonely. Lack of acceptance in the group contributed to this self appraisal as well as a lack of friends and (according to the students) little support by the family. Social behavior of lonely students was remarkable for frequent victimizations and a low level of prosocial behavior. The impact of poor group acceptance on the feeling of loneliness was transmitted by these two features of social behavior.
Klicpera
Barbara Gasteiger
BG
Universität der Bundeswehr München, Fakultät für Pädagogik, D-85577 Neubiberg.
Klicpera
Christian
C
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D012963:Sociometric Techniques; D013334:Students