Overview
Friendships are close dyadic reciprocal relationships, with a shared history, a sense of commitment, and a general enjoyment of each other’s company. Adolescent friendships are one of the central social relationships of this developmental period, perhaps the most important relationship to study during adolescence. In contrast to parent–adolescent relationships, friendships are voluntary, based on equality and reciprocity. According to Sullivan (1953), the friendships or “chumships” that develop during early adolescence provide opportunities for interpersonal intimacy, a validation of one’s own self-worth as well as a context for the acquisition of social and relationship skills such as increased sensitivity to another’s needs and desires. Predominantly same-sex relationships, Sullivan argued that these friendships are necessary precursors to the more intimate romantic relationships which develop in later adolescence.
Adolescence is marked by a significant increase in the time...
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Bowker, A., Ramsay, K. (2011). Friendship Characteristics. In: Levesque, R.J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1695-2_49
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