The Family and Children's Peer Relations

Abstract

We review research on linkages between the family and children's peer relations including studies of attachment, parent-child relations and the social and economic contexts of family life. Whether based on observations of parent-child relations, teacher reports, parental reports or child reports, the literature has consistently documented connections between the quality of parent-child relationships and peer relations assessed in the school context. In addition, children's experience of stressors such as low income and parental divorce appear to be associated with difficulties in peer relations. Given that such connections would seem to exist, several recommendations for future research are offered, including the adoption of broader perspectives on the family (e.g. to incorporate marital as well as parent-child relations), the expansion of conceptualizations of peer relations (e.g. to include friendships and social networks as well as popularity and behavior) and greater consideration of social contextual factors (e.g. economic and other life circumstances and events) as they influence both the family and peer relations.