Friendships in Adolescence

[Page 586]This entry considers girls’ and boys’ friendships during adolescence. Specifically, the entry considers adolescents’ tendency to have same-sex friends, the number and quality of girls’ and boys’ friendships, a focused discussion of girls’ and boys’ disclosure to friends, and other-sex friendships. Friendships are considered because they are central relationships in the lives of both girls and boys. In fact, during adolescence, friendships become particularly salient. Developing autonomy from parents is a key task of adolescence. As such, in adolescence, youth spend more time with their peers and rely more on peers for support. Moreover, the majority of early and middle adolescents do not have serious romantic partners yet, which also contributes to the significance of adolescents’ friendships. Nonetheless, despite the importance of friendships for ...