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Characterizing and Comparing the Friendships of Anxious‐Solitary and Unsociable Preadolescents
Author(s) -
Ladd Gary W.,
KochenderferLadd Becky,
Eggum Natalie D.,
Kochel Karen P.,
McConnell Erin M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01632.x
Subject(s) - psychology , friendship , developmental psychology , normative , peer group , peer acceptance , peer victimization , adolescent development , anxiety , injury prevention , social psychology , poison control , psychiatry , medicine , philosophy , environmental health , epistemology
Friendships matter for withdrawn youth because the consequences of peer isolation are severe. From a normative sample of 2,437 fifth graders (1,245 females; M age = 10.25), a subset ( n = 1,364; 638 female) was classified into 3 groups (anxious‐solitary, unsociable, comparison) and followed across a school year. Findings indicated that it was more common for unsociable than anxious‐solitary children to have friends, be stably friended, and participate in multiple friendships. For withdrawn as well as nonwithdrawn children, peer rejection predicted friendlessness, but this relation was strongest for anxious‐solitary children. The friends of unsociable youth were more accepted by peers than those of anxious‐solitary youth. The premise that friendship inhibits peer victimization was substantiated for withdrawn as well as nonwithdrawn youth.