- Email: [email protected]
Peer Rejection: Developmental Processes and Intervention Strategies
BOOK REVIEWS
obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, specific phobia, and selective mutism. Two case examples are given to help illustrate the importance of the treatment of anxiety disorders. The final part deals with treatment. The traditional chapters on pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy are supplemented by a chapter on their combined treatment, including the budding empirical literature to support it. The highlight of this section puts the spotlight on prevention and research. Anxiety disorders are not unique as areas of child and adolescent psychiatry suffering from limited research interest or funding. However, the authors appear more sanguine in stating that the field of prevention science has developed significantly in the past 10 years and that the time is ripe for prevention researchers to develop strategies to preempt the development of these disorders. The main contribution of this book is to give an overview of state-of-the-art information on anxiety disorders bolstered by ‘‘evidence’’ from research in the area. The chapters flow well, cover a variety of overlapping constructs, and contain valuable citations that whet the discerning reader’s appetite for more information on the subject. The book is written in a way that is both clinically informative for the clinician as well as a good reference for the researcher. Perhaps a savvy parent interested in the latest research may also find the volume useful to help develop a good treatment plan as part of a truly collaborative effort with a clinician. Tanja Kees, M.D. Aradhana Bela Sood, M.D. Department of Psychiatry Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA DOI: 10.1097/01.chi.0000179053.62042.08
Disclosure: The authors have no financial relationships to disclose.
Peer Rejection: Developmental Processes and Intervention Strategies. By Karen L. Bierman. New York: Guilford Press, 2004, 299 pp., $35.00 (hardcover). Peer Rejection: Developmental Processes and Intervention Strategies provides an understanding of one of the most important aspects of a child’s life, the establishment of peer relationships. It offers valuable insight at a time when the social structure for children is at great risk. Increased school
1204
violence and behavioral disturbances coupled with challenges in our economic and family stability highlight the importance of paying close attention to the interactions children have within their social environment and with their peers. Peer rejection can vary in its presentation from name calling to teasing, gossip, and bullying. Bierman shares in the preface of the book communication excerpts from three children about their experience with their peers. These touching examples make a compelling case for the potentially long-term and devastating consequences of peer rejection on a child. What makes it so difficult for some children to get along with their peers? Does the problem lie with those children who face peer rejection, or are children who bully victims of peer rejection themselves? What is our role in identifying and preventing these behaviors? Do problem solving and intervention suffice? Where do mental health clinicians fall short and how do we learn to do better? Painful experiences of peer rejection are no longer to be considered a normal part of growing up but rather important obstacles to the process of growth. It is in schools that most peer interactions occur. How do we as clinicians step out of our roles as therapists into the real world of the child? Bierman is the Director of the Children, Youth, and Families Consortium at Pennsylvania State University, where she is Distinguished Professor of Clinical Child Psychology. She has extensive experience in understanding how peer relationships contribute to children’s social-emotional development, social competence, and school adjustment. She is the Director of the Fast Track project, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, which focuses on preventing antisocial behavior among high-risk youths. She is also co-investigator of the newly funded PROSPER program supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Bierman has drawn on her rich research and clinical experience and woven a detailed tapestry that provides an overview of this vast and complicated area of child development. The reader cannot help but feel constantly challenged and intellectually stimulated by the complexities of peer relationships and rejection in a child’s life. Part I focuses on the developmental significance of peer relationships and the differences between peer rejection and peer neglect on the one hand and peer acceptance and friendship on the other. This section gives invaluable insight into understanding social competence and how to use this in recognizing the characteristics of rejected children. This helps readers identify the effect that peer rejection has on children and various presentations of rejected children. Interventions can be based not only on understanding problem behaviors but also on the process of skill building. Chapters 3 and 4 outline rejection processes and the importance of peer influences, and address the developing self by integrating data
J. AM. ACAD. CHILD ADOLESC. PSYCHIATR Y, 44:11, NOVEMB ER 2005
BOOK REVIEWS
based on research, emotional schemas, and the complexities of self-development. Part II is the centerpiece of this book. Each chapter is well organized and helps the clinician follow the subject in a systematic manner. The focus is on observing and assessing problem peer relationships. Part II highlights the struggle that children face socially by getting locked into self-perceived biases. Chapter 5 describes the different presentations of peer-rejected children, including behavioral features and affective and impulsive features, and assesses problematic peer relationships. Chapter 7 helps the reader gain insight into peer, teacher, and parent measures of child social behavior. Chapter 8 focuses on the importance of observing peer interactions, and this can play an important role in the planning and evaluation of social interventions. Chapter 9 focuses on assessing self-system processes and describes the importance of social cognitive reasoning. Part III provides an update on clinical and research data related to peer rejection. It deals with effective intervention strategies and approaches to intervention. The goal is to help the clinician understand the process of intervention and define the promotion of self-esteem. Chapter 14, ‘‘Future Directions,’’ maps out the needs and implications of developmental research for the assessment and treatment of peer rejection. Mechanisms of change need to be better understood and warrant further examination.
This book is meant for clinical and school psychologists, students of psychology, psychiatrists in training, child and adolescent psychiatrists, child mental health workers, researchers, and parents. Dealing with peer rejection is not limited to providing children with skills but also helping them to be more socially competent by using some of the strategies suggested in the book. These may help improve peer interactions and enhance peer support opportunities that will ultimately support the development of a child’s social competence within a natural social environment. Bierman’s book provides answers to questions that clinicians have had about peer relationships and rejection. It conveys its message with clinical wisdom and a human touch. It echoes the sentiments of many clinicians who work with children suffering from peer rejection. Manisha Punwani, M.D. Peter Metz, M.D. University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, MA DOI: 10.1097/01.chi.0000179054.69666.ba
Disclosure: The authors have no financial relationships to disclose. Note to Publishers: Books for review should be sent to Andr e s Martin, M.D., M.P.H., Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, P.O. Box 207900, New Haven, CT 06520-7900.
J. AM. ACAD. CH ILD ADO LE SC. PSY CH IAT RY, 44:11, NO VEM BER 2 005
1205
obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, specific phobia, and selective mutism. Two case examples are given to help illustrate the importance of the treatment of anxiety disorders. The final part deals with treatment. The traditional chapters on pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy are supplemented by a chapter on their combined treatment, including the budding empirical literature to support it. The highlight of this section puts the spotlight on prevention and research. Anxiety disorders are not unique as areas of child and adolescent psychiatry suffering from limited research interest or funding. However, the authors appear more sanguine in stating that the field of prevention science has developed significantly in the past 10 years and that the time is ripe for prevention researchers to develop strategies to preempt the development of these disorders. The main contribution of this book is to give an overview of state-of-the-art information on anxiety disorders bolstered by ‘‘evidence’’ from research in the area. The chapters flow well, cover a variety of overlapping constructs, and contain valuable citations that whet the discerning reader’s appetite for more information on the subject. The book is written in a way that is both clinically informative for the clinician as well as a good reference for the researcher. Perhaps a savvy parent interested in the latest research may also find the volume useful to help develop a good treatment plan as part of a truly collaborative effort with a clinician. Tanja Kees, M.D. Aradhana Bela Sood, M.D. Department of Psychiatry Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA DOI: 10.1097/01.chi.0000179053.62042.08
Disclosure: The authors have no financial relationships to disclose.
Peer Rejection: Developmental Processes and Intervention Strategies. By Karen L. Bierman. New York: Guilford Press, 2004, 299 pp., $35.00 (hardcover). Peer Rejection: Developmental Processes and Intervention Strategies provides an understanding of one of the most important aspects of a child’s life, the establishment of peer relationships. It offers valuable insight at a time when the social structure for children is at great risk. Increased school
1204
violence and behavioral disturbances coupled with challenges in our economic and family stability highlight the importance of paying close attention to the interactions children have within their social environment and with their peers. Peer rejection can vary in its presentation from name calling to teasing, gossip, and bullying. Bierman shares in the preface of the book communication excerpts from three children about their experience with their peers. These touching examples make a compelling case for the potentially long-term and devastating consequences of peer rejection on a child. What makes it so difficult for some children to get along with their peers? Does the problem lie with those children who face peer rejection, or are children who bully victims of peer rejection themselves? What is our role in identifying and preventing these behaviors? Do problem solving and intervention suffice? Where do mental health clinicians fall short and how do we learn to do better? Painful experiences of peer rejection are no longer to be considered a normal part of growing up but rather important obstacles to the process of growth. It is in schools that most peer interactions occur. How do we as clinicians step out of our roles as therapists into the real world of the child? Bierman is the Director of the Children, Youth, and Families Consortium at Pennsylvania State University, where she is Distinguished Professor of Clinical Child Psychology. She has extensive experience in understanding how peer relationships contribute to children’s social-emotional development, social competence, and school adjustment. She is the Director of the Fast Track project, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, which focuses on preventing antisocial behavior among high-risk youths. She is also co-investigator of the newly funded PROSPER program supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Bierman has drawn on her rich research and clinical experience and woven a detailed tapestry that provides an overview of this vast and complicated area of child development. The reader cannot help but feel constantly challenged and intellectually stimulated by the complexities of peer relationships and rejection in a child’s life. Part I focuses on the developmental significance of peer relationships and the differences between peer rejection and peer neglect on the one hand and peer acceptance and friendship on the other. This section gives invaluable insight into understanding social competence and how to use this in recognizing the characteristics of rejected children. This helps readers identify the effect that peer rejection has on children and various presentations of rejected children. Interventions can be based not only on understanding problem behaviors but also on the process of skill building. Chapters 3 and 4 outline rejection processes and the importance of peer influences, and address the developing self by integrating data
J. AM. ACAD. CHILD ADOLESC. PSYCHIATR Y, 44:11, NOVEMB ER 2005
BOOK REVIEWS
based on research, emotional schemas, and the complexities of self-development. Part II is the centerpiece of this book. Each chapter is well organized and helps the clinician follow the subject in a systematic manner. The focus is on observing and assessing problem peer relationships. Part II highlights the struggle that children face socially by getting locked into self-perceived biases. Chapter 5 describes the different presentations of peer-rejected children, including behavioral features and affective and impulsive features, and assesses problematic peer relationships. Chapter 7 helps the reader gain insight into peer, teacher, and parent measures of child social behavior. Chapter 8 focuses on the importance of observing peer interactions, and this can play an important role in the planning and evaluation of social interventions. Chapter 9 focuses on assessing self-system processes and describes the importance of social cognitive reasoning. Part III provides an update on clinical and research data related to peer rejection. It deals with effective intervention strategies and approaches to intervention. The goal is to help the clinician understand the process of intervention and define the promotion of self-esteem. Chapter 14, ‘‘Future Directions,’’ maps out the needs and implications of developmental research for the assessment and treatment of peer rejection. Mechanisms of change need to be better understood and warrant further examination.
This book is meant for clinical and school psychologists, students of psychology, psychiatrists in training, child and adolescent psychiatrists, child mental health workers, researchers, and parents. Dealing with peer rejection is not limited to providing children with skills but also helping them to be more socially competent by using some of the strategies suggested in the book. These may help improve peer interactions and enhance peer support opportunities that will ultimately support the development of a child’s social competence within a natural social environment. Bierman’s book provides answers to questions that clinicians have had about peer relationships and rejection. It conveys its message with clinical wisdom and a human touch. It echoes the sentiments of many clinicians who work with children suffering from peer rejection. Manisha Punwani, M.D. Peter Metz, M.D. University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, MA DOI: 10.1097/01.chi.0000179054.69666.ba
Disclosure: The authors have no financial relationships to disclose. Note to Publishers: Books for review should be sent to Andr e s Martin, M.D., M.P.H., Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, P.O. Box 207900, New Haven, CT 06520-7900.
J. AM. ACAD. CH ILD ADO LE SC. PSY CH IAT RY, 44:11, NO VEM BER 2 005
1205