Friendships among young children: links with social behaviour

Children’s relationships with their peers have important associations with their behaviour. The current study examined children’s friendships during the formative school years and hypotheses were made regarding associations between how well-liked children were by peers, the reciprocity of these friendships, and with whom friendships were made. Children aged four to seven years (N = 193) were asked to identify who their friends were. Teachers and teaching assistants provided ratings of children’s behaviour; aggressive, victimised, prosocial and solitary. Results indicated differences in the number of friendship nominations children received from peers in relation to their behaviours. Reciprocity in children’s friendships was also differentially associated with child behaviour. Further, there was some evidence for homophily in the behaviour of children and their friends. The findings are discussed in relation to the importance of supporting children’s good quality friendship relationships.