Perhaps in another year or two the difference will have disappeared completely. A 1992 Swedish study followed children to the age of 13 and found no adverse effects of early day care. That last result is consistent with a finding from the new study that almost got lost amid all the fuss about aggressiveness. Rather than seeing the day-care center as a potential hazard for children, we should see it as a potential opportunity. There are some things children can learn best in the company of their peers, and one of them is how to get along with their peers.
Educational programs designed for older children are sometimes successful in reducing bullying.
Distributed by the Los Angeles Times.