How Polish adolescents cope with peer exclusion

From time to time media reports frighten us about the events, which have similar, tragic scenarios – a student with a gun in their hand enters the school and his or her classmates, colleagues, teachers. The results of analyzes of fifteen school shootings in the United States, show that peer ostracism, intimidation, and love rejection, are the main determinants of these tragic events and experiencing social ostracism explained 87% of these cases (Leary et al., 2003). Ostracism hurts in the literal sense and mercilessly strikes the basic psychological needs. Consequently, the pain often leads to outbursts of irrational, socially unacceptable behavior (Williams, 2007). It is necessary, therefore, to focus on the consequences of being rejected by peers. This article raises the issue of youth coping strategies with ostracism.