Context and Companionship in Children’s Short-term versus Long-term Friendships

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Anne C. Fletcher, Associate Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Children (N = 341) and their mothers participated in interviews when children were in fourth and fifth grades. Mothers and children worked together to identify children’s friends across various contexts of their lives. Children rated the companionship of each friendship and friendships were coded as either short term or long term. Higher levels of companionship were associated with increased odds of a friendship being long term, as was a friendship being maintained within the contexts of neighborhood, family friend, relative-as-friend, and efforts of parents. A friendship being maintained in more contexts was associated with increased odds of the friendship being long term. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for the understanding and support of children’s friendships.

Additional Information

Publication
Language: English
Date: 2010
Keywords
children, stability, companionship, context, friendship, parental influence

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