The Best Friendships of Shy/Withdrawn Children: Prevalence, Stability, and Relationship Quality

Abstract

The mutual best friendships of shy/withdrawn and control children were examined for prevalence, stability, best friend's characteristics, and friendship quality. Using peer nominations of shy/ socially withdrawn and aggressive behaviors, two groups of children were identified from a normative sample of fifth-grade children: shy/withdrawn (n = 169) and control (nonaggressive/ nonwithdrawn; n = 163). Friendship nominations, teacher reports, and friendship quality data were gathered. Results revealed that shy/withdrawn children were as likely as control children to have mutual stable best friendships. Withdrawn children's friends were more withdrawn and victimized than were the control children's best friends; further, similarities in social withdrawal and peer victimization were revealed for withdrawn children and their friends. Withdrawn children and their friends reported lower friendship quality than did control children. Results highlight the importance of both quantitative and qualitative measures of friendship when considering relationships as risk and/or protective factors.Keywords social withdrawal; friendship; adjustment Long ago, Jean Piaget and Harry Stack Sullivan posited that peer relationships provide children with a unique context for emotional and social development (Piaget, 1932;Sullivan, 1953). Piaget maintained that the symmetrical power relationship unique to peer relationships afforded children the opportunity to develop perspective-taking abilities, social competence, and advanced moral reasoning. Sullivan emphasized the intimacy of children's same-gender chumships, arguing that such intimacy promotes identity development and contributes to later successes in romantic relationships. The implication of their arguments was that children who were not involved in peer relationships would miss out on developmental opportunities important for positive adjustment and growth (Rubin, Burgess, Kennedy, & Stewart, 2003).Today, the peer relationships literature supports Piaget's and Sullivan's early contentions, clearly demonstrating the significance of peer relationships, particularly friendships, in children's emotional and social development (see Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 1998 NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript development of perspective-taking and moral reasoning skills (e.g., McGuire & Weisz, 1982). Friendship also has been positively associated with measures of self-esteem and feelings of general self-worth (e.g., Bagwell, Newcomb, & Bukowski, 1998) and is considered an important source of social support, particularly under potentially stressful situations (Berndt & Keefe, 1995;Ladd, 1990). Further, researchers have shown that friendship can protect children from the negative externalizing and internalizing "costs" associated with peer victimization (e.g., Hodges, Boivin, Vitaro, & Bukowski, 1999).It also has been shown that children who are without close peer relationships altogether or those who have difficulties with their peers, often experience ...

Social Withdrawal in Childhood

“…Schneider (1999) reported that eight-and nine-yearold friendship dyads comprising one or two socially withdrawn children were rated by observers as relatively restricted in their verbal communication. And Rubin et al (2006d) found that withdrawn young adolescents rated their best friendships as lacking in helpfulness, guidance, and intimate disclosure; the best friends of these withdrawn young adolescents rated their friendships as involving less fun and help and guidance than did the best friends of nonwithdrawn young adolescents. Importantly, the extent to which group and dyadic relationship factors conspire to maintain or alter the developmental trajectories of social withdrawal in early adolescence has been examined by Oh et al (2008).…”

“…In fact, social withdrawal is one of the strongest correlates and consequences of peer rejection during middle childhood and adolescence (e.g., Deater-Deckard 2001, Newcomb et al 1993). It is argued that peers reject socially withdrawn children because their demeanor runs contrary to age-specific norms and expectations for social interaction and relationship-and group-involvement (Rubin et al 2006d). Furthermore, researchers have argued that atypical behavior becomes more salient to the peer group with increased age; this may explain why the association between social withdrawal and peer rejection steadily increases with age (Ladd 2006).…”

“…Friendships-Although socially withdrawn children may have difficulties forming large numbers of friendships (Pedersen et al 2007), it is nevertheless the case that withdrawn children and young adolescents are as likely as their typical age-mates to have at least one mutual and stable best friend (e.g., Ladd & Burgess 1999, Rubin et al 2006d, Schneider 1999. Rubin and colleagues (2006d), for example, found that approximately 65% of socially withdrawn 10-year-olds had a mutual best friendship, and approximately 70% of these best friendships were maintained across the academic year; these friendshipinvolvement and -stability percentages were nearly identical to those of nonwithdrawn 10-year-olds.…”

The Effects of Age, Gender, and Temperament Traits on School Adjustment for Preschool Children/ Yaş, Cinsiyet ve Mizaç Özelliklerinin Okul Öncesindeki Çocukların Okula Uyumları Üzerindeki Etkileri

“…For example, long-term studies which monitor children's adjustment to school from preschool period to primary school should be conducted. Children with the temperament traits of shyness/introversion are faced with the risk of exposure to peer violence, loneliness, low social competency and poor friendships (Mendez, Fantuzzo, & Cicchetti, 2002;Rubin et al, 2006). Therefore, further studies are required to investigate other issues (e.g.…”

O retraimento social em adolescentes: um estudo descritivo do seu ajustamento sócio-emocional segundo a perspectiva dos professores

“…São muitos os estudos que mostram a sua relevância para um desenvolvimento cognitivo, emocional e social adequado. Também é na adolescência que esta questão se reveste de particular importância por ser a etapa do ciclo de vida em que o retraimento social é visto como mais negativo entre os pares e aparecer como forte preditor de problemas futuros a nível social e emocional (Rubin, Wojslawowicz, Burgess, Rose-Krasnor, & Booth-LaForce, 2006).…”