ABSTRACT
A YOUNG child inevitably acquires many of the basic rules of social behaviour by mixing with other children of his own age. For instance, it is largely through interaction with his siblings or with other children of the neighbourhood that he first learns about personal possession, lending and sharing, asking permission, waiting for another child to finish, and taking turns. Through social play with his peers, he begins to realize that it will sometimes be necessary for him to give in to another child, whether for reasons of force or of diplomacy; and that, at other times, he will be obliged to make a stand in defence of his own rights. Such experiences often provide the child’s first introduction to the concepts of fair play and social justice; as Anna Freud puts it,
