Possible Influences in Middle Childhood
What are some examples of the types of experiences that can impact a client's self image during middle childhood? Below are a few examples:
How did they perform academically? Was there one or several school subjects in which they struggled?
Did they have one or several teachers who mistreated them?
Did they fit in with school peers? Were they able to fit in socially? Was there any bullying?
What about in the larger society? When compared to the community surrounding them, how did the child evaluate their or their family's social stance? For example, if poverty vs money was considered important, did the child feel like their family was well off or financially struggling?
If the child and their family belonged to a minority group, a close evaluation of various factors and emotions become necessary. We need to ask questions like: who did the child feel compared against? An example of this is a child who belongs to an ethnic minority that might be a target to racism. If this child goes to a school where they are surrounded by mainstream student and they feel like the only ethnic minority, the impact on their self image might be greater than if they went to a more multicultural school or a school where most students belong to the same ethnic minority. What we need to pay close attention to is not superficial circumstances, but the deeper dynamics of whether the child felt that they belonged to a community that held high regards for them or for their family, or a community that regarded them or their family as inferior in some shape or form. So in the case of racial discrimination within a society, if the child had the opportunity to build a healthier foundation to their self image through interactions with a healthy immediate community, the impact of racist treatments by the larger society may not be as great.
What about in immediate family or extended family? Was there a pattern of comparing children within the family? Were they ever given the impression that they were superior or inferior to siblings, cousins or other children?
A key factor that can easily be overlooked is the role of older siblings. Older siblings can impact a child's self image in two different ways:
If a sibling has experienced issues surrounding their own self image, such as being a victim to bullying, sibling jealousy etc. we can expect bullying or other unhelpful dynamics that may shape our client's self image.
In developmental psychology, it is generally understood that conformity to rules and authority figures changes across developmental stages, with reduced conformity after the ages 11-12 (Piaget, 1932). At times as older siblings demonstrate rebellion or defiance towards authority figures, a younger sibling who is still within ages of strong conformity to parental "rules" may develop strong emotions towards the older sibling and their perceived "misbehaviour". Emotional reactions by younger siblings could include fear and anxiety over the conflicts between their parents and the siblings in question, as well as idealising conformity to rules as a measure of social status. Meaning that this child could develop strong fears of "turning into the naughty child" or display an even stronger need for pleasing authority in order to feel "good enough". If they are unable to keep authority figures happy at all times, on the other hand, they could develop feelings of strong shame or inferiority. It is important that these intricate mechanisms are identified during therapy and addressed using the techniques which we will learn about in the next module.
Can you think of other factors that could influence a child's self-image?