An Examination of Complaint Behaviours in the Context of Social Status and Gender in Preschool Education

The purpose of this study is to examine how children’s complaint behaviours in preschool settings vary by social status (popular, average, rejected, neglected) and gender. The study was conducted with 19 five-year-old children attending a private preschool in Istanbul, using a descriptive design drawing on sociometric assessment and five weeks of naturalistic observation. The findings indicate that children with average social status are the most frequent complaint makers and also among the groups most frequently complained about, whereas children rejected by their peers are the most frequent recipients of complaints. Children with popular status were also observed to make complaints but not to receive complaints. In addition, girls were found to make complaints more frequently, while boys were more likely to receive complaints. A negative, statistically significant relationship was found between the frequency of making complaints and the frequency of receiving complaints. Overall, complaint behaviours appear to play both protective and exclusionary roles in peer relationships. In this regard, it is recommended that teachers treat these behaviours as a pedagogical opportunity and develop strategies to support children’s problem-solving skills.