Women's Recollections of Childhood Peer Rejection in School - A Thesis - Master of Arts

Sep 20, 2026

Most research on peer rejection centers on blaming the victim or detecting process patterns, while children’s perspectives receive limited attention and adults’ reflective accounts remain underexplored. This phenomenological study analyzes memories of four women, including the author, rejected in school, using self-study methods, interviews, and memory prompts such as photographs and drawings. The study examines feelings of exclusion or bullying, tests common themes, and distinguishes both shared and individual coping strategies, offering advice in the concluding chapter.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages184

Reading Time7 h 44 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter One: Examining Memories Of Peer Rejection

Introduction

Chapter Two: Cathy Or Catherine? The Search For Identity In The Face Of Adversity

It Wasn't Always That Way

Chapter Three: Kyla's Story: Learning Not To TrustThey Don't Like You If You Are Different

Rejection by Friends

Chapter Four: Taylor's Story: The Struggle To Fit In

Humiliation

Chapter Five: Linda's Story: The Blame Is On The Rejecters

Where Were The Adults?

Chapter Six: What Memories Can Reveal About Peer Rejection

Themes In Common

Women's Recollections of Childhood Peer Rejection in School Catherine Derry A Thesis In The Department Of Education Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts at Concordia University Montreal,Quebec,Canada March 2001 Catherine Derry,2001 The author has granted a non-exclusive licence allowing theNational Library of Canada toreproduce,loan,distribute or sellcopies of this thesis in microform,paper or electronic formats. The author retains ownership of thecopyright in this thesis.Neither thethesis nor substantial extracts from itmay be printed or otherwisereproduced without the author'spermission. Acquisitions andBibliographic Services 395 Welington Street Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada Bibliothèque nationaledu Canada Acquisitions etservices bibliographiques 395,rue Wellington Otawa ON K1A ON4 Canada 0-612-59240-5 Your Volne nrance Our Nor nlrane L'auteur a accorde une licence nonexclusive permettant a la Bibliotheque nationale du Canada dereproduire,preter,distribuer ouvendre des copies de cette these sousla forme de microfiche/film,dereproduction sur papier ou sur formatelectronique. L'auteur conserve la proprieté dudroit d'auteur qui protege cette thèse.Ni la these ni des extraits substantielsde celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimésou autrement reproduits sans sonautorisation. # ABSTRACT Women's Recollections of Childhood Peer Rejection in School Catherine Derry Most of the research literature on peer rejection either blames the victim or concentrateson finding patterns in the process of rejection.The perspectives of the children beingrejected have been given surprisingly little attention,while the perspectives of adultsthinking back on their experience has yet to be investigated.This study examines thememories of four women(one of who is myself)who were rejected as children in school,and is written from a phenomenological standpoint.In addition to conducting a self-study,the research involved interviewing participants about their memories of childhoodexperiences,and incorporated the use of memory prompts,such as photographs anddrawings.Through analyzing and reflecting on the images,memory accounts,andinterviews,I explore and describe what it can feel like to be excluded or bullied by othersin schooL.The data analysis was conducted by looking for and testing common themesthat describe the essential nature of each participant's experience.This was followed bythe writing and rewriting of phenomenological descriptions of the experiences.Thefindings highlight both differences and commonalties in coping strategies used by theparticipants to deal with their situations,and provide an in-depth look at the traces thatchildhood experiences can leave on adult memory.In the concluding chapter,theparticipants themselves offer advice to parents and educators dealing with peer rejection. Dedication This work is dedicated to the memory of my father Robert Derry whose faith in me andunconditional love are with me always. Acknowledgements The first people I would like to thank are Kyla,Taylor and Linda The participantswho had the courage to share their painful memories so others could learn from them. I would like to thank my advisor Dr.Sandra Weber many times over,for seeingthe scholar in me that I could not always see.She encouraged me to research newterritory and provided the intellectual and emotional support necessary to do that.I wouldalso like to thank the members of my committee:Dr.Claudia Mitchell for her very goodadvice,unwavering support and sense of humor and Dr.Miranda D'Amico for supportand interest in this project. I would like to thank my Mom,Joan Derry,and Mary Svats(Aunt Lena)forbeing my official cheerleading section.I would like to thank my partner KarenClendinneng for her love,encouragement and patience with me during this time. I also acknowledge the support and love of my best friend Leslie Belyea whosetwo

FAQs

What perspectives does the study prioritize regarding peer rejection?

It prioritizes the recollections of children who were rejected, as well as adults reflecting back on those experiences. The study addresses a gap in existing research that has given children’s perspectives limited attention.

How were participants’ memories collected and analyzed?

The research used self-study plus interviews with participants, supported by memory prompts such as photographs and drawings. Analysis focused on identifying and testing common themes describing the essential nature of each participant’s experience.

What do the findings reveal about coping strategies and long-term effects?

The findings highlight both differences and commonalities in coping strategies used by participants to deal with rejection or bullying. They also provide an in-depth look at the lasting traces childhood experiences can leave on adult memory.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Emma Wilson