Social Rejection and its Psychological Effects: All You Need to Know

Throughout the article, we will be exposed to what social acceptance consists of understanding its opposite (Social Rejection and its effects), rejection.

In this way, we will open a contextual framework to deepen better the refusal and its more apparent consequences and, perhaps, less visible.

Finally, a small reflection on our role with those who are in our environment and how much we can help without knowing it. Let’s start!

Acceptance and social rejection

What is social rejection? To deepen the concept, what better to start by defining what is social acceptance.

The team of Sandra Becerra describes social acceptance as the function of pleasing and belonging to a social group as a basic need of the human being.

Social rejection can take its toll at any age, but if there is a delicate period, that is childhood.

Psychological consequences of social rejection

Social rejection can take different forms and can occur in any field. We can find it in school, in the institute, at work, even within the same group of friends or family.

When we are small, the consequences can remain impregnated and influence in the long term.

However, suffering at later ages is still problematic. Social rejection can have psychological effects at any age.

As affirmed by Estefanía Estévez’s team (2009), social rejection during school time can be through anxiety and depression, feelings of loneliness and stress, and low perception of satisfaction with life. However, these same symptoms can appear at any age in which this type of rejection occurs.

So far, we have detailed characteristic symptoms of this phenomenon, but there are also others such as loss of identity, risk behaviours, social avoidance, and difficulty in making decisions.

Less obvious symptoms

The loss of identity can also found among the consequences of social rejection. Why does this loss occur?

There is a struggle internally and externally. We want to please others so much that we forget ourselves. When we are waiting to satisfy the expectations of others and try to fit in, we put aside our motivations and, in this way, we can arrive at the question of who am I?

The risk behaviours can also found among those who suffer rejection. Some people, to be accepted, could carry out some practices that endanger their physical and psychological integrity.

Imagine that a group tends to consume narcotic substances. In this way, some people, to feel integrated, will adapt to the behaviour of the group.

Arnold Gesell’s Maturation Theory

Anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem as a result of rejection can also result in social avoidance.

The individual will try to avoid any situation in which he may feel exposed for fear of being ridiculed or rejected.

Social rejection implies, among other things, turning one’s back on ideas that the individual may have had and, in this way, so much insecurity has been created in him that he will be unable to make decisions in the future for fear of failure.