Social Anxiety in Dutch Cluster 4 Schools: Internalising and Externalising Behavioural Problems, Peer Status, and Classroom Climate.

Abstract

Each year more adolescents attend cluster 4 schools. These schools provide special education and support for adolescents with extreme externalising and internalising behavioural problems. Previous research measured a higher level of social anxiety in these schools. Therefore, this study investigated three explanations for the occurrence of social anxiety in cluster 4 schools. This study focused on the degree of problem behaviour of peers, a negative peer status, and a negative classroom climate. In this study, 35 adolescents of cluster 4 schools for either internalising or externalising behavioural problems participated. The control group contained 10 participants. The results showed that students with externalising behaviours experience higher levels of social anxiety than students with internalising behavioural problems. A negative peer status and a negative classroom climate did not explain this result. The influence of the degree of problem behaviour of peers is not known. Thus, this study’s variables do not explain the difference in social anxiety level. Future research can give insight into other individual, family, and school factors that possibly explain social anxiety.