Bi-Directional Social Status of Behaviorally Disordered and Nonhandicapped Elementary School Pupils

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Abstract
Sociometric ratings assigned by and to behaviorally disordered and nonhandicapped elementary school students were compared. For this comparison, 22 resource room, school-identified behaviorally disordered pupils, who attended at least two regular classes during portions of the school day, were matched with an equal number of nonhandicapped classmates in three schools. The How I Feel Toward Others was administered in 20 regular physical education classrooms enrolling behaviorally disordered students. Results indicated that behaviorally disordered subjects, in comparison to matched nonhandicapped ones, assigned higher social rejection to their peers, and received far less acceptance and more rejection from them. Furthermore, the behaviorally disordered and nonhandicapped comparison groups did not differ significantly in assigned acceptance or assigned and received familiarity among their same- and opposite-sex classmates. These findings are discussed with regard to the need for examining the classroom social domain of behaviorally disordered students in totality, and increased awareness of the social reciprocity that occurs among peers.