How may the role of Angela’s peers in her life be changing because she is in middle childhood?

Unit IV Case Study
School is an important and common experience where socioemotional and moral development play out. For this assignment, you will compose a written analysis of a case study on Angela, who is in late childhood.
Case Study, Angela, 10:
Angela is a 10-year-old child who identifies as mixed race. Her father of Jamaican and Trinidadian descent and mother of Irish descent divorced when she was about 8 months old. Because her father moved out of state and her mother worked long hours, Angela spent a substantial amount of time with her grandmother until she was about 5 years old. Her mother, who was employed as a server, sometimes worked 10- and 12-hour shifts. Her father worked as a manager of a grocery store seafood department and was sometimes relocated to new stores.
Angela has recently moved to a new location with her mom, farther from her grandma, about 30 minutes away, and into an entirely new school district. Imagine that you are Angela’s guidance counselor. Her teacher came to you recently and said, “Angela is really quite intelligent and super creative, but I have noticed she is having a difficult time making friends. Do you think you could help her?”
Of course, you are willing to help one of your students, and you begin by observing Angela on the playground.
You have decided to have a couple of meetings with Angela to get to know her and then hope to bring her mom into the conversation.
PartI
Using your developmental psychology background (e.g., attachment, temperament, self-esteem), determine the following items:
1. What type of attachment would you predict that Angela has with her caregivers? How would you predict that this has affected her adjustment? Explain how Angela’s cognitive and physical changes come into play.
2. In psychology, we know that labels can be dangerous. How would you have a conversation with Angela’s mother about how Angela’s temperament and peer status might be affecting her adjustment at her new school without giving Angela a negative label?
3. You have the impression after meeting with Angela and her mother that they are on board with being proactive in creating positive change for Angela. What three steps would you suggest Angela and her mother take that would improve Angela’s self-esteem and emotional maturity? Describe the changes that take place in the adolescent’s relationship with her parents that come into play in these three steps you suggest.
Part II
Thanks to your work as her guidance counselor, Angela has made a successful transition and has friends at her new school. Furthermore, she has been asked to participate in a program as a peer mentor. Angela’s school has a great deal of socioeconomic, racial, and cultural diversity. Unfortunately, there has been a significant amount of bullying due to perceptions regarding differences. Angela’s role is to help other kids in her elementary school make prosocial decisions around the issue of bullying.
Once you have read the case study, answer the questions below in a single document. Your total response (for Parts I and II combined) must be at least two pages in length. Your textbook must be used as a source along with at least one additional source.
1. How may the role of Angela’s peers in her life be changing because she is in middle childhood?
2. What important factors have researchers discovered that increase the likelihood of bullying?
3. Given what you have learned about moral development in this unit, how would Lawrence Kohlberg approach Angela
and her peers given his theory of moral development? What would a plan for much younger students, such as kindergarteners, look like if it were created by Angela?
4. If Angela was working with her female peers, would you recommend a different strategy? Would that align with Carol Gilligan’s perspective?
Adhere to APA Style when constructing this assignment, including in-text citations and references for all sources that are used. Please note that no abstract is needed.
ANSWER
Part I:
1. What type of attachment would you predict that Angela has with her caregivers? How would you predict that this has affected her adjustment? Explain how Angela’s cognitive and physical changes come into play.
Given Angela’s background, it is likely that she has a secure attachment with her caregivers. Her mother was employed as a server and sometimes worked 10- and 12-hour shifts, and her father lived out of state, so Angela spent a substantial amount of time with her grandmother until she was about 5 years old. This suggests that Angela had a consistent and reliable caregiver who was responsive to her needs.
Secure attachment is associated with a number of positive outcomes, including better social and emotional skills, higher self-esteem, and greater resilience in the face of stress. Angela’s secure attachment likely helped her to adjust to her new school and make friends. However, her cognitive and physical changes may also be playing a role in her adjustment.
Cognitive changes: In middle childhood, children begin to develop more complex cognitive skills, such as abstract thinking and problem-solving. This can help them to better understand social situations and to develop more sophisticated friendships. However, it can also lead to increased self-awareness and self-criticism. Angela may be more aware of her differences from her peers and may be more concerned about how they perceive her.
Physical changes: Middle childhood is also a time of significant physical changes. Children may experience rapid growth and development, which can lead to feelings of self-consciousness and awkwardness. Angela’s physical changes may be making it more difficult for her to feel comfortable and confident in social situations.
Overall, Angela’s secure attachment likely helped her to adjust to her new school and make friends. However, her cognitive and physical changes may also be playing a role in her adjustment. She may be more aware of her differences from her peers and may be more concerned about how they perceive her. Additionally, her physical changes may be making it more difficult for her to feel comfortable and confident in social situations.
2. In psychology, we know that labels can be dangerous. How would you have a conversation with Angela’s mother about how Angela’s temperament and peer status might be affecting her adjustment without giving Angela a negative label?
When talking to Angela’s mother about her temperament and peer status, it is important to avoid using negative labels. Instead, you could focus on specific behaviors that you have observed and how those behaviors may be impacting Angela’s adjustment. For example, you could say something like:
“I’ve noticed that Angela is a bit shy and reserved. She seems to be having a hard time making friends at her new school. I’m wondering if her temperament might be playing a role in this. Shy children may need more time to warm up to new people and may feel less comfortable in social situations.”
You could also discuss Angela’s peer status and how that may be affecting her self-esteem. For example, you could say something like:
“I’ve noticed that Angela doesn’t have a lot of close friends at her new school. This may be due to a number of factors, such as her temperament, her newness to the school, or her differences from her peers. It’s important for Angela to have a sense of belonging and to feel connected to her peers. Having friends can help to boost her self-esteem and make her feel more comfortable at school.”
By focusing on specific behaviors and how they may be impacting Angela’s adjustment, you can avoid giving her a negative label. Additionally, you can help Angela’s mother to understand how her temperament and peer status may be affecting her and to take steps to support her.
3. You have the impression after meeting with Angela and her mother that they are on board with being proactive in creating positive change for Angela. What three steps would you suggest Angela and her mother take that would improve Angela’s self-esteem and emotional maturity? Describe the changes that take place in the adolescent’s relationship with her parents that come into play in these three steps you suggest.
To improve Angela’s self-esteem and emotional maturity, I would suggest the following three steps:
Help Angela to identify and build on her strengths. Angela’s mother can help her to identify her strengths and talents by praising her accomplishments and encouraging her to participate in activities that she enjoys. Angela can also build on her strengths by setting realistic goals for herself and by challenging herself to learn new things.
Encourage Angela to develop positive social skills. Angela’s mother can help her to develop positive social skills by teaching her how to start conversations, how to be a good listener, and how to resolve conflict peacefully. Angela can also practice her social skills by joining clubs or sports teams and by volunteering in her community.
Provide Angela with opportunities to practice self-advocacy. Angela’s mother
Sources
mybestwriter.com/socio-emotional-and-moral-development-at-school/