Abstract

CASTRO M, Bibiana Andrea  and  GAVIRIA L, Marta Beatriz. School environment and psyco-social behaviour in children. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2005, vol.23, n.2, pp.59-69. ISSN 0120-386X.

Association between social behaviour and school environment in children was explored, measured by relationships between peers in the classroom. A cross sectional study was carried out based on secondary sources of a sample of 631 children from 6 private and public educational centers in the urban area of the city of Medellín in 2001, stratum 2 population. The questionnaire to evaluate aggressive and pro-social behaviour (COPRAG) and the socio-metric test of social relations among peers were analyzed. 23.8% of students presented at least one symptom related with social behaviour; the most common symptoms were depression/anxiety and indirect aggressiveness. Two socio-metric groups were observed in the classroom, the "less chosen", those with symptoms of hyperactivity/ attention deficit and/or with learning deficit disorder, and the "more accepted", children with medium or high pro-social behaviour (p = 0.000, OR of Mann-Whitney). Based on the logistic models it was concluded that academic performance is a variable that predicts the acceptance of a child in the classroom, however, pro-social behaviour is not. Classroom social exclusion affects children’s mental health and their relations with school, family, and social group.

Keywords : Social behaviour; child behaviour; aggression; altruism; metric techniques.