Physically abused preschoolers' responses to peers' distress.

Abstract

Response to peers' distress for which they were (target-caused) or were not (bystander) the cause were coded for 11 abused and nonabused preschoolers between the ages of 35 and 67 months. Each child was observed on a playground for an average of 1 IS min. Consistent with results of research with toddlers, abused preschoolers exhibited more inappropriate responses (aggression and withdrawal) toward distressed peers (bystander incidents) than did nonabused preschoolers. Also, abused children were more likely to cause distress of peers. These findings suggest that even among abused children who have had opportunities to interact with nonabusive caregivers and peers (i.e., regularly attended day care), differences in responses to peers' distress are obtained. Although the physical injuries of abused children continue to be a grave concern to the public, the focus of attention has expanded to include the implications that abuse may have for children's social-emotional development. Research on characteristics of abused children indicate that many adopt behavior patterns similar to those of abusive parents: aggression, prosocial skills deficits, social isolation, and, of particular interest in the context of this article, deviant responses to distress (George & Main, 1979; Haskett, 1988; Hofrman-Plotkin & Twentyman, 1985; Howes & Eldredge, 1985; Main & George 1985; Reidy, 1977). It has been suggested that deviant responses to others' distress may contribute to both immediate (e.g., rejection by peers) and long-term (e.g., future abuse of offspring) problems for abuse victims (Main & George, 1985). In light of these potentially negative outcomes, further investigation of abused children's responses to others' distress is warranted. To date, abused children's responses to peers' distress have been studied only with toddlers (Howes & Eldredge, 1985; Main & George, 1985). Both studies found that relative to a nonabused group, abused toddlers expressed less concern and offered less help to distressed peers. Furthermore, abused toddlers were more likely to withdraw or react negatively (e.g., aggressively) to a distressed peer than were nonabused toddlers. In the present study, we were interested in whether deviant responses to distressed peers are characteristic of a slightly older group of abused children (i.e., preschoolers) who had opportunities to socially interact with nonabusive adults and children (i.e., regularly attended day care). Comparison of abused and