Mean, Pushy, Reckless, and Different: US Parents’ Stereotypes Generate Discomfort With Their Children's Intergroup Peer Interactions

ABSTRACT Despite the benefits to children, intergroup peer interactions make some parents uncomfortable. Drawing on social identity theory and an integrated stereotyping framework, this study investigated how US parents’ ( N = 569) discomfort with their children's potential intergroup interactions might differ by child and peer group gender (boy, girl), race (Black, White), and social class (higher‐, middle‐, or lower subjective social status [SSS]). Across child ages (8–16 years), parents were most uncomfortable with groups that they assumed were mean, pushy, reckless, and different ( η p 2 = 0.03–0.08). Groups perceived in these ways were most often rich White girls (mean), rich and middle‐class White boys (pushy), poor White and Black boys and White girls (reckless), and poor Black girls (different). These results demonstrate how stereotypes can underlie parents’ discomfort with intergroup peer interactions for their children.