Learning Objectives

10.1. Explain three ways in which the sense of self changes in middle childhood.

10.2. Analyze the typical qualities of school-age children’s friendships and their developmental significance.

10.3. Explore the role of peer acceptance in children’s adjustment, including popularity and rejection. 

10.4. Compare the characteristics of bullies and victims, how parent and school factors contribute to bullying, and outcomes of bullying. 

10.5. Discuss changes in family relationships during middle childhood. 

10.6. Examine the adjustment of children reared in gay and lesbian families.

10.7. Identify risks and protective factors that contribute to children’s adjustment in single-parent and cohabiting families. 

10.8. Analyze patterns of adjustment to divorce in children and factors that contribute to adjustment. 

10.9. Discuss common manifestations of anxiety in middle childhood. 

10.10. Assess risks for sexual abuse, typical outcomes, and prevention strategies. 

10.11. Analyze the role of resilience in promoting adjustment, including characteristics of children and contexts that promote resilience.