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Tackling social exclusion among young people requires a greater focus on group dynamics in schools, study shows

Efforts to reduce social exclusion in schools, such as being left out of a peer group or an activity, need to place greater emphasis on group dynamics and age-specific strategies, a new study shows.

Researchers from the University of Exeter found that adolescents are less likely than children to expect peers to challenge social exclusion as a bystander, especially when they fear social consequences such as losing friends or upsetting group dynamics.

This suggests that anti-bullying programs will be more effective if they address the social and group-based pressures that influence bystander behavior—especially among older students.

The study, led by Dr. Ayşe Şule Yüksel alongside Dr. Sally Palmer, Eirini Argyri, and Professor Adam Rutland, involved 424 young people aged 8–10 and 13–15. Participants read scenarios in which a peer was excluded from an after-school club. Researchers asked how likely it was that a peer group member would step in to challenge social exclusion.

The results revealed that adolescents had lower expectations of peer intervention than children did. When asked to explain their reasoning, adolescents were more likely to focus on group dynamics and social consequences—such as the risk of losing friendships or disrupting group cohesion—while children emphasized moral considerations —such as fairness and welfare—when evaluating the bystander's decision to act.

The research is in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology.

Dr. Yüksel said, "This study highlights how children and adolescents reason differently about standing up for others. Younger children tend to rely on moral values like fairness, while adolescents are more aware of group norms and potential social risks.

"To promote positive bystander behavior, interventions must reflect these developmental differences. While morally driven approaches may be effective for children, adolescents may need support to critically examine group norms and learn how to navigate group dynamics when challenging the social exclusion of others."

The study was conducted in several schools in multicultural areas of a large city in south-eastern England and included children from lower-middle class backgrounds. The exclusion scenarios involved both British and immigrant peers to explore the impact of intergroup and intragroup exclusion.

The researchers conclude that understanding the developmental and social reasoning behind bystander behavior is key to designing effective school-based interventions that reduce social exclusion and promote inclusion.