Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

childhood, development, friendship

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology

Abstract

Friendships in childhood are essential to overall development, beyond having someone to socialize with. Research suggests that friendships in children can help mitigate psychopathology, can be considered protective factors against being bullied and acting as a bully, and help with developing strong cultural competence. Aspects of friendships such as quality and intimacy of the relationship, as well as quantity of friends have been investigated for their importance in moderating many of these factors. Lack of friendships can lead to both short-term and long-term challenges for children, such as loneliness and feeling isolated from peers, anxiety and other internalizing disorders, and potential school difficulties overall. Considering the benefits of having significant friendships and the risks associated with not having stable friendships, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which friendships impact children and their development.

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