title: Peer reactions to early childhood aggression in a preschool setting: Defenders, encouragers, or neutral bystander.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the current study was to determine if peer reactions to aggression among preschool youth were consistent with those conceptualized in the adolescent bullying literature as defenders, encouragers, and neutral bystanders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Direct observations were used to document patterns for types of peer-directed aggression in early childhood settings to ascertain interaction differences between individuals involved within the bullying dynamic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observations of 50 students in preschool were conducted over 5.5 months. Event recording procedures were used to document aggressive behaviors and reactions from peers and teachers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated that the majority of aggression was physical. Additionally, peer reactions, as described in the bullying literature for school-aged youth, occurred very infrequently.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peer aggression tended to be more physical, suggesting that early childhood educators should attend to these physical interactions, and cultivate a classroom community that emphasizes social supports and appropriate interactions.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Special Education , University of Missouri , Columbia , MO , USA .
authors.forename: Chad A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: b Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , TX , USA , and.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Richman
authors.affiliation: c Department of Special Education , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fettig
authors.affiliation: c Department of Special Education , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Annamarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayner
authors.affiliation: c Department of Special Education , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Carly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Slavin
authors.affiliation: a Department of Special Education , University of Missouri , Columbia , MO , USA .
authors.forename: June L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Preast
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D058445:Bullying; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010379:Peer Group; D012574:Schools; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012944:Social Support; D013334:Students
keywords: Aggression; bullying; childcare; early childhood; preschool