How are we going to study this topic?

 

Participants

We will interview 8-, 11-, and 14-year-old children at their schools. Children will come from ethnically diverse boroughs in and around London.

 

All researchers who will interview children have received CBR checks and have plenty of experience working with children. 

 

Study 1

This study will examine at what age children are sensitive to the status of the child being excluded and how children from a non-majority groups evaluate exclusion. We will read a series of vignettes to 270 participants from different ethnic backgrounds, aged 8, 11-, and 14- years- old. Children will be asked whether it is acceptable for the child to be excluded and to justify their reasons. One such vignette reads: "A group of White children are playing football together and an Asian child wants to join them. The White children say that the Asian child cannot because only White children can play football with them. Is this ok? Yes or no? Do you think that a little or a lot?"

 

Study 2

In this study 180 children from different ethnic backgrounds, aged 8-, 11-, and 14-years-old will be told about a place in which people are blue or green. Children will be assigned to four different conditions and read four stories in order to examine their understanding of status differences. One such story reads: "A group of Blue people are playing football together and a Green person wants to join them. The Blue people say that the Green person cannot because only Blue people can play football with them". Children will be asked to explain their choices. 

 

Study 3

This study will involve 200 White British and ethnic minority 10-year-old children split evenly into four training conditions and a control group. Children will complete a series of interviews and interventions destined to reduce peer rejection based on ethnicity.