| dc.description.abstract | Social withdrawal or shyness is not uncommon in society, but can have several negative impacts
on children’s well-being. This study looked into the effects of socially withdrawn behavior on
several internalizing problems, such as depression, anxiety, and self-esteem, and the gender
differences within these effects. It was hypothesized that socially withdrawn children will
experience more symptoms of depression and anxiety, and a lower self-esteem compared to their
non-withdrawn peers. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that socially withdrawn boys will
experience more symptoms of depression and anxiety, and a lower self-esteem compared to
socially withdrawn girls. This study used 215 students from grade four to six in its analyses. The
mean age of this group was 11 years and 3 months. These children were grouped as socially
withdrawn or non-withdrawn. The Revised Class Play was used to measure social withdrawal,
the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - 25 for depression and anxiety, and the
Competentiebevelingsschaal voor Kinderen for self-esteem. A MANOVA and multiple
ANOVAs were used as the statistical measures. Results showed that socially withdrawn children
suffered significantly more from depression and social anxiety, and had a lower self-esteem than
non-withdrawn children. However, no significant gender differences were found within these
effects. Age was also incorporated as a control variable, but was not found to be significant.
Some strengths within this study were the use of reliable instruments and statistical measures and
the classifications of social withdrawal. This study also had some limitations, such as the use of a
culturally unbalanced sample and the analysis of data that were collected 15 years ago, which
should be taken into account by future researchers. Findings from this study may be informative
to teachers or professionals who work with socially withdrawn children. | |
