Ricerc@Sapienza

In early education contexts, shy children are prone to experiencing difficulties in their relationships with peer and teachers. These negative social experiences may, in turn, reinforce shy children's feelings of self-consciousness. The aim of the present study was to test a complex model linking shyness with self-conscious emotions (i.e., guilt, shame) through negative social experiences at preschool (i.e., peer difficulties, non-supportive teacher–child relationships).

In the present study, the predictors and outcomes associated with the trajectories of peer rejection were examined in a
longitudinal sample of Italian children (338 boys, 269 girls) ages 10 to 14 years. Follow-up assessments included 60% of the
original sample at age 16–17. Low, medium, and high rejection trajectory groups were identified using growth mixture models.
Consistent with previous studies, we found that (a) being less prosocial and more physically aggressive at age 10 was characteristic