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.

Validity of Attachment Q‐Sort Descriptions by Mothers: The Japanese Case

“…Relations between attachment security and both child-mother interaction and peer interaction have been found in a large number of other studies (Frankel & Bates, 1990;Matas et al, 1978;Sroufe et al, 1983;Elicker et al, 1992;Cohn et al, 1991). These relations support the claim of attachment theory that childmother attachment is a universal phenomenon.…”

“…Lamb and Nash (1989) suggest that the link may also be explained in other ways, for example by a general tendency toward sociability. Without deciding on the causal mechanism we may, however, conclude that attachment quality and quality of social relations are conceptually linked and that this link is supported by many studies (Elicker, Englund, & Sroufe, 1992;Cohn, Patterson, & Christopoulos, 1991;Sroufe, Cooper, & Dehart, 1992).…”

Perceptions of parent‐child attachment, social self‐efficacy, and peer relationships in middle childhood

“…This suggests that the expression of fathers' attachment may begin to have less relevance to girls' emerging social relationships at the close of middle-childhood, and this interpretation is consistent with other published work. Specifically, data reported by Cohn et al (1991) and others (Cohn, 1990;Lewis and Feiring, 1989) suggest that the connections between parent-child attachment and peer relations in middlechildhood are stronger for boys than girls. Definitive evidence for moderation may have been obtained with a larger sample.…”

Couple Psychoeducation for New Parents: Observed and Potential Effects on Parenting

“…Psychologically, secure attachment predicts later social competence (e.g., positive peer relations, Cohn et al 1991;Sroufe and Fleeson 1986), more autonomy, less dependent behaviour, greater emotional regulation, fewer behavioural problems, and greater likelihood of developing close, warm relationships in adulthood (Cassidy and Shaver 1999;Kochanska 2001;Lamb 2004;Rothbaum et al 2000;van IJzendoorn and Sagi 1999;Sroufe et al 1999;Thompson 1998Thompson , 1999. In contrast, a greater proportion of insecurely attached children have behavioural problems, poor problem-solving capacity, and low self-esteem (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy 2002).…”