 | This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations .(March 2010) |
A childhood secret club is an informal organization created by children.
| This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations .(March 2010) |
A childhood secret club is an informal organization created by children.
Some common features of a childhood secret club may include:
Names. Unlike cliques, these associations often have names. These younger groups don't have the social competition that adolescent cliques do, or the level of bad behaviour that street gangs have. However, in rare instances there may be rivalry with other such groups around the same age, which can lead to physical fights between them.
Peer leadership. Unlike group activities like Scouting, which are led by adults, these groups are led by children.
Pro forma secrecy. The secrecy may be more imaginary than real. For instance the name of the club (if it has one) and its membership are usually obvious to all. There may be a desire to create secret codes and plans, but they are rarely implemented. A ramshackle den, tree house, clubhouse, fort, or "secret base" may be built in nearby scrub-land or an abandoned building. Some children in a secret club may use a part of the grounds of the school they attend together as their "base" during periods of recess.
Single-sex membership. Such clubs are usually either all boys or all girls but not mixed [ citation needed ] but exceptions do occur. There may be a sense of competition between the genders, as well as independence from adult authority.
Catch-phrase/greetings/secret words. Sometimes the clubs develop one or more secret catch-phrases or (sometimes nonsensical words) and greetings. This is illustrated in the 1982 film P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang .
Many schools have rules against secret clubs, and some jurisdictions even have laws prohibiting secret or invitation-only societies in public elementary or secondary schools.[ citation needed ]
The fact that interest in these clubs tends to be a passing phase at a certain age[ clarification needed ] may result from the stages of children's cognitive development. After growing out of the "egocentric", or "preoperational" stage, [ citation needed ] reaching the "age of reason", one is able to understand other people's intentions. The next step is the ability to understand groups and the desire to belong to a club.
Written material about these secret clubs, such as the external links listed below, cites eight- and nine-year-olds most often. While slightly older children may also participate in secret clubs, they would be less expected to use fantasy elements in their activities.
Juvenile comics and literature often feature such clubs as a plot device, often with spy or detective themes, and often far more organized than their real-life counterparts. A more realistic depiction is found in Zilpha Keatley Snyder's novel The Egypt Game , in which six children gather in an abandoned storage yard to enact fantasy adventures and recreate actual ceremonies based on and adapted from their knowledge of ancient Egypt.
Movies have featured such clubs, notably the early Ealing comedy-thriller Hue & Cry. There are also juvenile non-fiction books that serve as "how-to's" for code-making and surveillance, most notably the Usborne Good Spy Guide series.
A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state, or another community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those who are outside their group. The use of this term usually carries negative connotations of political purpose, conspiracy and secrecy. It can also refer to a secret plot or a clique, or it may be used as a verb.
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret.
A child is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of child generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority. Children generally have fewer rights and responsibilities than adults. They are classed as unable to make serious decisions.
A toddler is a child approximately 12 to 36 months old, though definitions vary. The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development. The word is derived from "to toddle", which means to walk unsteadily, like a child of this age.
Preadolescence is a stage of human development following middle childhood and preceding adolescence. It commonly ends with the beginning of puberty. Preadolescence is commonly defined as ages 9–12 ending with the major onset of puberty. It may also be defined as simply the 2-year period before the major onset of puberty. Preadolescence can bring its own challenges and anxieties.
Chinese whispers or telephone is an internationally popular children's game. It is also called transmission chain experiments in the context of cultural evolution research, and is primarily used to identify the type of information that is more easily passed on from one person to another.
A hidden camera or spy camera is a camera used to photograph or record subjects, often people, without their knowledge. The camera may be considered "hidden" because it is not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another object. Hidden cameras are often considered a surveillance tool.
An Official Secrets Act (OSA) is legislation that provides for the protection of state secrets and official information, mainly related to national security but in unrevised form can include all information held by government bodies.
Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of honoring someone by exhibiting care, concern, or consideration for their needs or feelings.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common, chronic rheumatic disease of childhood, affecting approximately 16-150 in 100,000 children. Juvenile, in this context, refers to disease onset before 16 years of age, while idiopathic refers to a condition with no defined cause, and arthritis is inflammation within the joint.
An incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment or a bewitchery, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial rituals or prayers. In the world of magic, wizards, witches, and fairies allegedly perform incantations.
Adolescent cliques are cliques that develop amongst adolescents. In the social sciences, the word "clique" is used to describe a group of 2 to 12 "who interact with each other more regularly and intensely than others in the same setting". Cliques are distinguished from "crowds" in that their members socially interact with one another more than the typical crowd. Crowds, on the other hand, are defined by reputation. Although the word 'clique' or 'cliquey' is often used in day-to-day conversation to describe relational aggression or snarky, gossipy behaviors of groups of socially dominant teenage girls, that is not always accurate. Interacting with cliques is part of normative social development regardless of gender, ethnicity, or popularity. Although cliques are most commonly studied during adolescence, they exist in all age groups.
The Latin phrase sub rosa, denotes secrecy or confidentiality and is used in English to denote secrecy or confidentiality, similar to the Chatham House Rule. The rose has a long, ancient history as a symbol of secrecy.
A secret handshake is a distinct form of handshake or greeting which indicates membership in or loyalty to a club, clique or subculture. The typical secret handshake involves placing one's fingers or thumbs in a particular position, one that will be recognized by fellow members while seeming to be a normal handshake to non-members. This is most frequently associated in the popular consciousness with college fraternities, fraternal orders and secret societies.
Play is a range of intrinsically motivated activities done for recreational pleasure and enjoyment. Play is commonly associated with children and juvenile-level activities, but may be engaged in at any life stage, and among other higher-functioning animals as well, most notably mammals and birds.
Slow parenting is a parenting style in which few activities are organised for children. Instead, they are allowed to explore the world at their own pace. It is a response to concerted cultivation and the widespread trend for parents to schedule activities and classes after school; to solve problems on behalf of the children, and to buy services from commercial suppliers rather than letting nature take its course.
Interactive children's books are a subset of children's books that require participation and interaction by the reader. Participation can range from books with texture to those with special devices used to help teach children certain tools. Interactive children's books may also incorporate modern technology or be computerized books. Movable books, a subsection of interactive books, are defined as "covering pop-ups, transformations, tunnel books, volvelles, flaps, pull-tabs, pop-outs, pull-downs, and more, each of which performs in a different manner. Also included, because they employ the same techniques, are three-dimensional greeting cards."
Cartoon violence is the representation of violent actions involving animated characters and situations. This may include violence where a character is unharmed after the action has been inflicted. Animated violence is sometimes partitioned into comedic and non-comedic cartoon violence.
A clique, in the social sciences, is a group of individuals who interact with one another and share similar interests. Interacting with cliques is part of normative social development regardless of gender, ethnicity, or popularity. Although cliques are most commonly studied during adolescence and middle childhood development, they exist in all age groups. They are often bound together by shared social characteristics such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Examples of common or stereotypical adolescent cliques include athletes, nerds, and "outsiders".
The elaboration principle is when "non-group" members form relationships with an "in-group" member and later are incorporated into the existing "in-group."
Thomson, Ruth; Judy Hindley; Colin King; Elisabeth Graham-Yooll (1978). The Good Spy Guide: Tracking and Trailing. London: Usborne. ISBN 0-86020-168-6.
Sobel, David (2001). Children's Special Places: Exploring the Role of Forts, Dens, and Bush Houses in Middle Childhood.