The Effect Of Ostracism On The Basic Needs And Emotion Of Children Aged 6-12 Years

Ostracism is a common experience where individuals feel neglected or are ignored.It can occur at any stage of life and has various negative effects on an individual’s physical and mental development.In childhood,ostracism can have a significant impact on an individual’s future emotional and physical growth.However,there is limited research that directly examines the changes in basic needs and emotions of school-age children after experiencing ostracism and how receptive behavior can improve these needs and emotions.Thus,two studies were conducted to investigate the impact of ostracism on the basic needs and emotions of children between the ages of 6 to 12 years,and how rejection and acceptance can cause changes in their basic needs and emotions.Study 1 used 2(groups: acceptance group,exclusion group)× 3(age group: 6-8years,8-10 years,10-12 years old)two factors between the subjects,to explore the effects of Ostracism on the basic needs(sense of belonging,meaning,self-esteem,control)and emotions(happy,sad,angry)of 178 children aged 6-12 years.The results found:(1)Basic needs: Ostracism poses a threat to the basic needs of children aged 6-12 years old,which begins at the age of 8-10 and is consistent with that of children aged10-12.Among them,boys feel more threatened by control.(2)Emotions: Ostracism has a negative impact on the mood of children aged 6-12,children aged 6-8 years show sadness,and children aged 10-12 not only show sadness,but also show obvious anger.Among them,boys are more likely to have angry emotions.Study 2 was conducted with 163 children between the ages of 6-12 years old,divided into two groups-an acceptance group and an exclusion group.The study aimed to investigate how Ostracism affects the basic needs and emotions of children.The study used a three-factor mixed design,which included three age groups: 6-8 years old,8-10 years old,and 10-12 years old.The test was conducted before acceptance,after acceptance,and within the subject.(1)The results showed that Ostracism had a negative impact on the threat of basic needs and emotions of children aged 6-12 years,which is consistent with the results of Study I.The study found that the threat of Ostracism to the basic needs of children aged 6-12 years began at 8-10 years of age and was comparable to that of 10-12 years old.Additionally,Ostracism negatively affected the mood of children aged 6-12 years.(2)The study found that for children aged 6-12 years old,the impaired sense of belonging,meaning,self-esteem,and impaired control caused by rejection was improved after acceptance.In fact,these needs were restored to the same level as the acceptance group.Interestingly,children aged 8-10 years old showed even higher levels of self-esteem and sense of belonging than the acceptance group.(3)The study also revealed that acceptance after rejection had a positive impact on the emotions of children aged 6-12.Specifically,it alleviated sadness for those aged6-12 and increased happiness for children aged 8-12.Moreover,the improvement in happiness for children aged 8-10 was higher than that of the acceptance group.In summary,research shows that ostracism affects the basic needs and emotions of children aged 6-12 years differently as they develop.However,brief acceptance after exclusion can effectively improve these needs and emotions.These findings provide invaluable insight for schools looking to tackle the issue of ostracism among children.By implementing targeted measures to meet the basic needs of excluded children,and provide emotional support,schools can help children build healthy social relationships and develop essential social skills.