Young Children’s Social Competence and Peer Exclusion in Early Childhood Education and Care: The Role of Gender

Social competence in early childhood is a foundational, multifaceted construct and a strong predictor of academic and behavioral outcomes. Difficulties in this domain are often linked to challenges in forming positive peer relationships. The present study investigates the association between children’s social competence and peer exclusion, while examining the effect of gender in both domains. Participants were 312 children (3–5 years old) from 39 early childhood education and care classrooms in Greece. Construct validity for the adapted version of the Social Behavior Scale was initially established, supporting its proposed three-dimensional structure, comprising emotional competence, social engagement, and aggressiveness. Measurement equivalence across gender was also confirmed at all levels. Structural Equation Modeling revealed moderate associations between peer exclusion and two dimensions of social competence (i.e., emotional competence and aggressiveness). Gender effects were identified only for aggressiveness, with boys exhibiting slightly higher levels of aggressive behavior. Mediation analysis further revealed that gender exerted an indirect effect on peer exclusion through aggressiveness. The findings highlight the importance of addressing specific behavioral patterns, rather than gender alone, when designing interventions to foster positive peer relations and support children’s social development in early childhood education and care.