Adolescent Peer and Adult Relationships Across Time and Transition: A Longitudinal, Mixed-Methods Study

Accessing a network of supportive relationships is critical to adolescent development, yet many peer relationships shift across adolescence, and little is known about changes in non-parental youth-adult relationships over time. This study examined how and why relationships with peers and adults end or persist during adolescence, specifically across school transitions. Participants ( n = 35; 17 middle school-aged, 18 high school-aged) completed egocentric social network maps and qualitative interviews over three years. Over the transition to high school, peer nominations within the school context increased significantly, and youth described frequent friendship changes such as quick flames (rapidly formed and ended) and slow burns (gradually deepened). When leaving high school, adult nominations within school and after-school contexts decreased significantly, especially as formalized extracurricular activities ended. Youth across both age groups often replaced previous adult relationships with new ones within extracurricular settings ( interchangeable adults ), while relationships with teachers seemed to decline over time. Time together , trust and disclosure , and friendship fit were important factors of sustained relationships. Findings suggest that the transitions to and from high school may bring unique relational changes. Youth-adult relationships may decline after high school, and college and work settings are potentially valuable future focal points for building supportive youth-adult relationships.