Adolescent Peer Relationships Research Articles

The impact of COVID-19 on the peer relationships of adolescents around the world: A rapid systematic review.

The main objective of this rapid systematic review was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted peer relationships for adolescents (10-25 years of age) around the globe. We focused on four indices of peer relationships: (1) loneliness, (2) social connectedness, (3) social support, and (4) social media use. In addition, we examined gender and age differences. Four databases (APA PsychInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched for articles published from January 2020 to November 2022. A total of 96 studies (cross-sectional: n = 66, longitudinal: n = 30, quantitative: n = 67, qualitative: n = 12, mixed-methods: n = 17) met our inclusion criteria (empirical observational studies with data on at least one of the indices of interest, cross-sectional data on COVID-19-related experiences or longitudinal data collected during the pandemic, age range of 10-25 years, typically developing adolescents). We extracted data and conducted a narrative synthesis. Findings suggest that COVID-19 disruptions negatively impacted peer relationships for youth. Most studies reported either an increase in loneliness over the course of the pandemic or a positive association between loneliness and COVID-19-related experiences. Similar findings were observed for increased social media use as a means of continued communication and connection. Fewer studies focused on social support but those that did reported a decrease or negative association with COVID-19-related experiences. Lastly, findings suggest a mixed impact on social connectedness, which might be due to the strengthening of closer ties and weakening of more distant relationships. Results for gender differences were mixed, and a systematic comparison of differences across ages was not possible. The heterogeneity in measures of COVID-19-related experiences as well as timing of data collection prevented a more nuanced examination of short and more long-term impacts.

A cognitive script perspective on how early caregiving experiences inform adolescent peer relationships and loneliness: A 14-year longitudinal study of Chinese families.

Leveraging data from a longitudinal study of Chinese families (n=364), this research aims to understand the role of secure base script knowledge as a cognitive mechanism by which early caregiving experiences inform adolescents' friendship quality and feelings of loneliness. Results showed that observed maternal sensitivity at 14 and 24 months old was negatively associated with adolescents' self-reported conflicts with close friends (β=-0.17, p=0.044) at 15 years old, and this association was partially mediated by their secure base script knowledge assessed at 10 years old. Further, secure base script knowledge moderated the link between adolescents' friend conflict and feelings of loneliness (β=-0.15, p=0.037). The results support a cognitive script perspective on the association between early caregiving experiences and later socio-emotional adjustment. Furthermore, this study adds to the developmental literature that has previously focused on more stringent and authoritarian aspects of parenting in Chinese families, thereby contributing to our understanding of how sensitive and supportive parenting practices contribute to socio-emotional development outside of Western contexts. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Maternal sensitivity during infancy and toddlerhood has a long-term association with adolescents' friendship quality and adolescents' secure base script partially explains the association. First evidence to demonstrate that the secure base script in attachment relationships mediates the association between early maternal caregiving and socio-emotional development in Chinese adolescents. Adolescents lacking secure base script knowledge are particularly vulnerable to feelings of loneliness when facing high levels of conflict in close friendships.

Examination of the relationship between peer bullying and cyber violence in university students

Peer bullying, encountered by individuals globally at an early age, necessitates a deep understanding of its underlying causes and associated elements for effective intervention strategies. The integration of digital technologies as tools has introduced the dimension of cyber violence to the discourse on peer bullying. This research aims to explore the relationship between peer bullying and cyber violence in a specific age group. Globally, 10-15% of children and adolescents experience peer bullying lasting over six months. Recognized as a global health issue by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, research indicates varying risks of exposure in different countries, such as 30% in Australia, 20% in Portugal, and 10% in the United States. The study investigates the connection between the violent behaviors adopted by individuals who have experienced peer bullying and their efforts to overcome the associated sense of worthlessness. Data were collected through an online survey utilizing the "Cyberbullying Scale" by Arıcak et al. and the Turkish-adapted "Adolescent Peer Relationships" scale by Seçer. The sample comprises 260 university students aged 18-24. Findings reveal that 53.8% of participants scoring high on the cyberbullying scale also exhibit elevated scores on the bully form of the adolescent peer relationships scale. Notably, 10% of those scoring highest on the bully form relate to participants who scored high on the threat dimension. In conclusion, the research highlights the need for additional studies to address cyberbullying and underscores the necessity for the development of diverse strategies. This study may establish a foundational framework for future research, contributing to the formulation of more effective approaches in combating cyberbullying.

The Relationship Between Bullying and Risk of Suicide Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia.

Although adolescents appear less vulnerable to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the side effects of this pandemic can still be devastating. Bullying and suicidality are significant global issues with detrimental effects on young people, particularly during school closure. This study aimed to identify the relationship between bullying and suicide risk among adolescents in Indonesia during the COVID- 19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted on adolescents aged 14-18 years in May 2020 in Bandung, Indonesia, using a webbased closed survey. The Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument and the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised were used to measure bullying and risk of suicide. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed. This study included 268 participants in 2020 and 175 participants in 2019. In 2020, the prevalence of perpetrators and victims of bullying combined was 74.6%. Meanwhile, in 2019, the prevalence of perpetrators and victims of bullying combined was 82.9%. Risk of suicide increased from 26.1% in 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) to 36.5% in 2020 (during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic). The risk of perpetrators and suicide victims was higher than that of perpetrators and victims alone (odds ratio [OR]=4.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.5-6.6 vs. OR=1.3, 95% CI=1.0-2.9 and OR=1.6, 95% CI=1.1-2.8, respectively). Bullying can enhance the likelihood of suicide among adolescents in Indonesia, and the risk was highest for the combination of victims and perpetrators. It is very important to provide early risk prediction for youths with bullying behavior and improve the knowledge and understanding of families and schools regarding the negative effects of bullying behavior.

Peer Relations of Adolescents with Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Systematic Literature Review of Two Decades

AbstractThere is a need for a systematic understanding of how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) affect peer relationships during adolescence and the subsequent effects on youth well-being. This study conducted a systematic literature review of the two decades (1999–2019) following the CDC-Kaiser ACE study (1998). The review included 11 ACEs (i.e., 10 ACEs from the CDC-Kaiser ACE study plus child welfare involvement) and searched five databases (i.e., Embase, ERIC, PsycINFO, PTSDpubs, and PubMed). Ninety-two studies were included. The findings indicated that ACEs were differentially associated with six aspects of peer relationships: (1) ACEs were negatively associated with peer relation quantity and peer status; (2) ACEs were not significantly related to peer support; (3) associations of ACEs with peer relationship quality and peer characteristics included negative and nonsignificant findings; and (4) relations between ACEs and peer influence appeared contradictory (i.e., positive and negative associations). Additionally, various aspects of peer relationships further affected the well-being of youth with ACEs. The findings call for more attention to the associations between ACEs and adolescent peer relationships. Longitudinal studies that examine change over time, potential mechanisms, and moderating factors in the associations between ACEs and peer relations are needed to clarify the heterogeneity of findings across the six aspects of peer relations. Lastly, the findings suggest a potential expansion of the trauma-informed care principle by considering multiple facets of peer relationships beyond peer support.

초기 청소년기 학교폭력 피해경험과 교우관계의 관계와 전학경험의 조절효과

Objectives This study examines the relationship between early adolescence school violence victimization, peer relationships, and the moderating effect of school transfer experience.
 Methods Using panel data from the Korean Educational Development Institute's ongoing Korean Education Longitudinal Study, which has been conducted since 2013, we conducted an analysis of school violence victim-ization experiences, peer relationships, and transfer experiences from elementary 5th grade to high school graduation. For data preprocessing and identifying transfer experiences, we utilized SPSS 27, while for examining moderation effects (multigroup analysis) using structural equation modeling, we employed Mplus 8.3.
 Results Firstly, experiences of school violence during early adolescence have a negative impact on subsequent peer relationships during the adolescent period. Secondly, transfer experiences moderate the effects of school violence victimization during early adolescence on later peer relationships in adolescence.
 Conclusions Experiencing school violence during early adolescence had a negative impact on the formation of peer relationships during subsequent schooling. However, it was found that when students transfered schools and joined a new peer group, they experienced less difficulty in forming peer relationships. Therefore, policy alter-natives that allow school violence victims to choose school transfers are needed.

Maternal positive coparenting and adolescent ego-identity: the chain mediating role of fathers' marital satisfaction and adolescent peer relationships.

Based on the ecological systems theory and the family systems theory, this study explores the mechanisms underlying the effects of maternal positive coparenting on adolescent ego-identity. This study employed the Maternal Positive Coparenting Scale to assess mothers, the Father Marital Satisfaction Scale to examine fathers, and the Adolescent Peer Relationship Scale, along with the Ego-Identity Scale, to evaluate adolescents. This comprehensive approach involved investigating 522 families, encompassing both parents and adolescents. The results obtained indicate a significant positive correlation between maternal positive coparenting and adolescent ego-identity. Peer relationships mediated the relationship between maternal positive coparenting and adolescent ego-identity. Father marital satisfaction mediated the relationship between maternal positive coparenting and adolescent ego-identity insignificantly. Paternal marital satisfaction and adolescent peer relationship have a chain mediating role between maternal positive coparenting and adolescent ego-identity. The study contributes by offering insights from the perspectives of family and peer relationships for further enhancing the development of adolescent ego-identity.

청소년의 사회적 위축과 친구관계 간 자기회귀교차지연 효과분석

Background/Objectives: This study sought to examine the correlation between peer relationships and social withdrawal, an internalized difficulty, in terms of adolescents' interpersonal relationships for the positive development of adolescents. Methods: To this end, the study analyzed 3-year longitudinal data (N = 2,103) of first-year middle-school students from the 2018 Korean Child and Youth Panel Survey for mutual effects using an autoregressive cross-lagged model. Results: The social withdrawal and peer relationships of adolescents remained notable and stable from the first to third years of middle school. In addition, pre-time social withdrawal exerted a significant negative effect on subsequent peer relationships, whereas pre-time peer relationships exhibited no effect on subsequent social withdrawal. Thus, social withdrawal and peer relationships displayed a self-effect that stabilizes over time in contrast to social withdrawal, which presented a stronger self-effect and was a risk factor from which spontaneous recovery was difficult. Conclusion/Implications: This study is significant in that it reveals the importance of adolescents' psychological relationships by revealing that social withdrawal is a factor with a strong self-effect that is difficult to recover on its own. In addition, by predicting social withdrawal and longitudinal changes in peer relationships, we promoted the healthy development of adolescents and presented basic data necessary for education and counseling.

Comorbidity of loneliness and social anxiety in adolescents: Bridge symptoms and peer relationships

RationalePrevious research investigating the comorbidity of loneliness and social anxiety symptoms in population samples has relied on latent variable modeling in which averaged scores representing dimensions were derived from observed symptoms. Studies have not examined how loneliness and social anxiety co-occur at the symptom level or their relations with peer relationships. ObjectiveThis study examined the comorbidity of loneliness and social anxiety and the role of peer relationships (i.e., the number of reciprocated friends, friendship quality, and bullying victimization) in adolescents’ co-occurring network using a large sample of Chinese adolescents. MethodsWe performed a network analysis in a sample of Chinese adolescents (N = 2601, 51.6% male, M age = 13.9 years, SD = 0.60). Participants completed self-report measures of loneliness, social anxiety, bullying victimization, and friendship quality as well as peer nomination measures of the number of reciprocated friends. ResultsNetwork analysis revealed that feeling ridiculed, fear of being rejected, having difficulty asking others to do things together, and feeling left out at school were essential bridge symptoms in the co-occurrence of loneliness and social anxiety. Bullying victimization had more positive associations with symptoms of social anxiety, and friendship quality had more negative associations with symptoms of loneliness. ConclusionsThe findings provide preliminary evidence for the comorbidity of loneliness and social anxiety symptoms in adolescents. The results also highlight the potential importance of targeting peer relationships in the prevention and intervention of loneliness and social anxiety symptoms. The combination of longitudinal networks and interventions on bridge symptoms may provide further insight into the development of the links between peer relationships, loneliness, and social anxiety symptoms.

Effect of Internalized Stigma on Peer Relationships in Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the effect of internalized stigma on peer relationships in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study was conducted in a Special Education and Rehabilitation Center between August and September 2022. The correlational and cross-sectional study sample consisted of 70 adolescents with ADHD. The Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Internalized Stigma Scale for Children and Adolescents, and the Peer Relationship Scale were used to collect the data. It was determined that the mean total score of internalized stigma levels of adolescents was 93.24 (16.16), and the mean total score of peer relationships was 53.78 (10.76). It was determined that there was a strong negative correlation between the total score of internalized stigma and peer relationships (r = − 0.748, p = 0.001). In addition, it was determined that internalized stigma predicted peer relationships by 55%. It can be said that internalized stigma and peer relationships of adolescents are moderate, and as adolescents' internalized stigma levels increased, their peer relationships decreased.

Dysfunctional career thoughts and peer relationships in adolescents with ADHD

Dysfunctional career thoughts and peer relationships in adolescents with ADHD

Concern for mianzi: Relations with adjustment in rural and urban Chinese adolescents.

The present study examined relations between concern for mianzi, or the social perception of one's prestige and standing in the group, and adjustment in Chinese adolescents. Participants were seventh- and ninth-grade students in rural and urban regions of China (n = 794, Mage = 14 years). Data were obtained from multiple sources including peer assessments, teacher ratings, self-reports, and school records. The results showed that concern for mianzi was associated with social competence, leadership, academic achievement, as well as aggression and mixed peer relationships in rural adolescents. In contrast, concern for mianzi was associated with comprehensive social, school, and psychological adjustment problems in urban adolescents. The results indicate the role of context in shaping the relations between adolescents' concern for mianzi and adjustment.

Family intimacy and adolescent peer relationships: investigating the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating role of self-identity.

According to existing research, family intimacy affects the formation of peer relationships among adolescents; Parent-child relationships may influence children's relationships with peers, but the mechanism of its influence is still unclear due to the uncertainty of its effect. According to the ecological systems theory, this study examines how family intimacy affects adolescent peer relationships through psychological capital and how self-identity moderates this effect. These hypotheses were tested based on a survey of 414 adolescents, which showed that family intimacy positively affects adolescent peer relationships; The relationship between family intimacy and adolescent peer relationships is mediated by psychological capital; Self-identity positively moderates the direct effects of family intimacy and adolescent peer relationships; Self-identity not only positively moderates the direct effect of psychological capital and adolescent peer relationship, but also positively moderates the indirect effect of family intimacy on adolescent peer relationship through psychological capital. This study provides new perspectives on the relevant mechanism of family intimacy and adolescent peer relationships.

Take you to know the Tibetan adolescents: Their main social relationships and the effect on the prosocial behavior

Tibetan adolescents in the Tibet Autonomous Region are gradually becoming the mainstay of the development and construction of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the construction of a harmonious society, and it is necessary to explore the positive attitudes and behaviors of this group. For this reason, this study collected 544 valid teacher-student paired questionnaires through the questionnaire survey method, and based on social support theory, explored the influence of the main social relationships (parent–child, teacher–student, and peer relationships) of Tibetan adolescents on their prosocial behaviors as well as the mechanism underlying this influence. The results showed that (1) the main social relationships of Tibetan adolescents were unique; (2) the parent–child, teacher–student, and peer relationships of Tibetan adolescents had significant positive effects on their prosocial behaviors and the teacher-student relationship had the greatest effect; (3) social support mediated the relationship between parent–child, teacher–student, and peer relationships of Tibetan adolescents, on the one hand, and their prosocial behaviors on the other; and (4) the psychological resilience of Tibetan adolescents positively moderated the relationship between their parent–child, teacher–student, and peer relationships and social support, while psychological resilience had a positive moderating effect on the mediating effect. This study conducts empirical research based on detailed data on Tibetan adolescents to provide scientific guidance for stimulating positive behaviors in this group. Moreover, based on the social support theory, it helps to understand the mechanisms of the main social relationships of Tibetan adolescents on their prosocial behaviors.

Commentary: Peer Support Needs of Adolescents With Chronic Pain.

Adolescence is a critical developmental period characterized by increased autonomy and importance of peer relationships (Jones et al., 2021) wherein connection and encouragement from peers become central for navigating life stressors (Roach, 2018). Many adolescents with chronic pain report social challenges during this developmental period, including a sense of isolation, loneliness, and perceived differences from their pain-free peers as well as prolonged and frequent school absences and withdrawal from activities (Jones et al., 2021). Given the importance of peer relationships in adolescence and the risk of negative social-developmental outcomes among adolescents with chronic pain, Linkiewich et al. (this issue) sought to elucidate the peer support needs of adolescents with chronic pain. Linkiewich et al. (this issue) conducted virtual semi-structured interviews with 14 adolescents with chronic pain (aged 12–17 years) centered on adolescents’ understanding of peer support, the extent they were currently receiving it from other adolescents with chronic pain, perceived benefits or concerns about peer support, and how this support may differ from what they received from pain-free peers. Through reflexive thematic analysis, Linkiewich et al. (this issue) generated three themes, which captured adolescents’ experiences with their non-pain peers (“Being Misunderstood”) and peers with pain (“They Would Understand Me,” “Moving Forward Together in Our Pain Journeys”). Together, these results provided key insights into the immediate- and long-term social support needs of adolescents with chronic pain as well as suggested potential benefits and considerations in addressing these needs through peer support interventions (PSIs).

Cyberbullying and PIU Among Adolescents Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Association With Adolescents Relationships

This study examines the role of adolescents-parents/teachers/peers relationships as explanatory variables of cyberbullying and problematic Internet-use (PIU) pre-and during COVID-19 pandemic. Questionnaires were delivered to 348 adolescents ages 13 to 18 years ( M = 15.05) at two time-points, provided a rare opportunity for assessment the pandemic effect. A significant increase was found in Internet-usage and PIU from pre-pandemic to during the pandemic-lockdown, although no change was found in cyber-perpetrating/victimization, but a decrease in cyber-witnessing. An increase was found in adolescents-teachers/peers relationships, while adolescent-parent relationships remained unchanged and strong. Intensive Internet-use was a positive explanatory variable for stronger teachers/peers relationships. When adolescent-peer relationships were stronger, the cyber-perpetrating/victimization were lower. Also, reinforcements in adolescents-teachers relationships during the lockdown may have influenced the decrease in cyberbullying.

Parents' Awareness of Bullying Involvement in Relation to Physician Practices: Implications for Practice Modifications.

Background Bullying is a complex abusive behavior with potentially serious consequences. Persons who bully and those who are bullied have consistently been found to have higher levels of depression, suicidal ideation, physical injury, distractibility, somatic problems, anxiety, poor self-esteem, and school absenteeism than those not involved with bullying. Objectives To our knowledge, no study has compared physicians' practices of bullying prevention across different hospital settings and the effect of these practices on parents' level of awareness. This article represents a subset (phase I) of the inter-departmental quality improvement study for comparing practices of healthcare professionals regarding bullying prevention between the pediatric outpatient clinic and child & adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic, and parents' awareness about provider's anti-bullying practices. Methods Phase I was conducted as a cross-sectional study with the target population of adolescents (age 12-17 yrs) and corresponding guardians, seeking care from healthcare providers (residents, fellows and attendings) in the child & adolescent outpatient psychiatry clinic and pediatric outpatient clinic. It targeted both patients and providers, with adolescents/guardians completing questionnaire about bullying experiences, physician's anti-bullying practices during past healthcare visits and adolescent Peer Relations Instrument. Providers answered questions about bullying assessing practices, level of self-preparedness and limitations. Results Data were analyzed in SAS 9.2 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) and SPSS (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) and Chi-square tests were used for analyses of variables, and cross-comparing results for particular subsets. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed. Among the provider surveys, self-reported level of preparedness (on a scale of 1-5; 1- least, 5-most) for assessing bullying was more in Psychiatry providers (Median 4, Mean 4.1) as compared to Pediatric providers (Median 3, Mean 2.9). In the first evaluation, very unprepared, unprepared and neutral (1, 2, 3) responses were contrasted with prepared to very prepared responses (4,5).The second evaluation excludes the neutral responses (3) and tests responses for the unprepared group (1,2) with the prepared group (4,5).The first evaluation resulted in Chi-Squared = 6.810, significant at p = 0.05 and the second evaluation resulted in Chi-squared = 4.774, also significant at p = 0.05. Conclusions This study identifies differences in healthcare professional's anti-bullying practices and helps in identifying limiting factors. This identification of the practice gap helps in developing interventional strategies to improve the assessment of bullying situations across specialties.

The Mediating Effects of Peer Relationship and Self-Esteem on the Relations Between Subjective Socioeconomic Status and Subjective Well-Being for High School Students

To explore senior high school students’ subjective socioeconomic status influence on their subjective well-being, and the role of self-esteem and peer relationships in it, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 394 high school students from the first grade to the third grade in Beijing using the Adolescent Subjective Socioeconomic Status Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Adolescent Peer Relationship Scale, and Subjective Well-being Scale. The results show that: (1) Subjective socioeconomic status can positively predict subjective well-being; (2) Self-esteem and peer relationship play a completely mediating role in the relationship between subjective socioeconomic status and subjective well-being. Therefore, the improvement of high school students’ subjective well-being can be achieved through the dual path of intervening in students’ self-esteem level and improving their peer relationships.

Peer influence on prosocial behavior in adolescence

Peer relationships are crucial for the formation and development of prosocial behavior among adolescents. However, most studies have focused on harmful behaviors and risky behaviors of adolescence, and previous verifiable work has often focused on peer relationship influences for antisocial behavior in adolescents. The research on the influence of adolescent peer relationship on prosocial behavior is relatively insufficient, especially the lack of systematic reviewing articles. This article presents peer influence can affect the prosocial behavior by demonstrating social and prosocial behavior in adolescent stage, exploring the importance of peer relationship, decision information of peers and peer intimacy. Moreover, this paper reviews recent experiential studies to explain the mechanism of peer influence on adolescent prosocial behavior from the perspectives of social learning and conformity theory and gender differences. This paper builds a higher study basement for future prosocial behavior field. Limitations of differences between different prosocial behaviors, and the influence level from peers are also worth investigating in the future.

Predictors of depression among adolescents joining selected public secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

AbstractDepression is common among adolescents more so during the transition to secondary school, and the psychosocial and emotional changes that accompany adolescence. This study sought to assess the prevalence and predictors of depression among students joining public secondary schools in Nairobi County. The study was carried out at five selected public secondary schools in Nairobi County covering 539 students between the ages of 11 and 18 years. The Patient Health Questionnaire‐Adolescent version (PHQ‐A) was used to collect data on depression. For suicidal behavior, the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire‐revised version was used. The Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument was used to assess bullying victimization. These were augmented by a sociodemographic questionnaire. Depression prevalence rates were generated using a generalized linear model customized with a log link and a Poisson distribution for a common binary outcome. The prevalence of depression was found to be 14.5%, with a mean PHQ‐A score of 6.16 (SD = 3.16). Predictors of depression were suicide risk (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 3.07, confidence interval, CI [1.94–4.88]; p < .001) and lifetime alcohol use (aPR = 2.24, CI [1.36–3.68]; p = .001). Depression is prevalent among adolescents joining secondary schools in Nairobi County. Counselor‐led school‐based cognitive behavioral therapy could be a sustainable strategy for reducing depression symptoms and guiding preventive efforts among adolescents in this context.