Friendships

Importance of Friendships

Although it is difficult to ascertain the role friendships play in the development of an individual, there is a general consensus among researchers in this field that close, positive relationships are developmentally significant throughout the life span. However, the importance of friendships varies as a function of age as one progresses through major developmental milestones (e.g., toddlers learn to cooperate and play games with their friends, whereas adolescents seek friendship for intimacy and social support). Friendships foster social competence by providing a framework through which children discover and appreciate social skills and concepts. Through interactions with friends, children and adolescents develop empathy, cooperation, reciprocity, conflict resolution, social problemsolving skills, interpersonal skills, and morals. Friendships can alleviate the effects of stress and hardship often associated with school, work, peer relationships, family difficulties, bereavement, and illness. Cross-sectional comparisons of children with friends versus children without friends, such as those conducted by Newcomb and Bagwell (1995), indicate that children with friends tend to be self-confident, cooperative, more sociable, and less lonely. Friendships help to make children and adolescents resilient when challenged by stressors (e.g., the transition from elementary to middle school). Additionally, friendships foster self-esteem and promote well-being and, therefore, serve as a protective factor against future psychopathology and other unfavorable outcomes.

Perhaps the importance of friendships is best illuminated by examining the detrimental effects of having poor quality friendships, as well as the effects [Page 211]of being without friends. Hartup and Stevens (1997) argue that it is not enough to simply have friends to ensure healthy development. What also matters is the qualitative nature of one's friends (i.e., prosocial versus deviant) and quality of these friendship relationships (e.g., reciprocal and supportive). Positive, supportive relationships serve as a constant resource to enhance resilience to vulnerability. Conversely, relationships with deviant peers can escalate problem behaviors and reinforce delinquency, especially during adolescence. In addition, Vitaro and colleagues (2000) determined that having “best friends” who engage in rule- and law-violating behaviors predict adolescents' subsequent delinquent behavior. These findings emphasize the influential role of peers during adolescence, and suggest that careful attention by parents, teachers, and mental health professionals should be paid to youth regarding the nature of their friends. Children without friends lack the opportunity to practice social skills and are, therefore, at risk for many adjustment difficulties. Indeed, the notion of developmental mastery should include consideration of the number of friends and the qualitative nature of friendships.

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