Socioemotional characteristics and school adjustment of socially withdrawn children in India

The purpose of this study was to explore correlates of childhood social-withdrawal in India. Participants were n = 929 elementary school-aged children in New Delhi. Children completed peer nominations of social-withdrawal, aggression, and sociometric status, as well as self-report measures of loneliness and depressive symptoms. Teachers rated child social and academic adjustment at school. Consistent with North American findings, the results indicated that, compared with their average counterparts, socially withdrawn children reported greater loneliness and depressive symptoms, were rated by teachers as more anxious, and were more likely to be rejected by peers. Although girls were rated as being more socially withdrawn than boys, contrary to expectations, few interactions with gender were found. The results are discussed in terms of the meaning of social-withdrawal within the context of the Indian culture.