Abnormal Shyness in Children

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Abstract
Recent nonclinical studies of children who do not often interact with their peers have identified at least three different kinds of solitude: temperamental shyness, social-evaluative shyness, and unsociability. These kinds of solitude can be clearly distinguished from social nonacceptance. The evidence for the different faces of children's solitude and their situational, age, and cultural specificity is reviewed, and potential implications for clinical child psychology are discussed. Clinical practitioners can profit from a recognition of the multifaceted nature of solitude in childhood.