Adolescent Same-Sex Friendships Quality friendships are important influencing factors in the social adjustment of adolescents (Waldrip, Malcolm, & Jensen-Campbell, 2008), and support from close friends in adolescence has been observed to be a greater predictor of emotional balance and academic performance than reinforcement from parents or caregivers (Way, 206). Younger adolescents place heavy importance on their same-sex friendships. As adolescents grow older this importance lessens or shifts to cross-sex relationships. Younger adolescents find more support and comfort in same-sex friendships than they do in cross-sex friendships (Johnson 2004). The stability and quality of adolescent same-sex friendships are impacted by a number of factors. Some examples of these influencers are the amount of gratification received from the relationship, the attractiveness of the available replacements, the personalities of those involved in the relationship, and the environment in which the friendship takes place (Branje, 2007; Chan & Poulin, 2007). Adolescent same-sex friendships are marked by competent …show more content…
It has been found that these relationships have a more profound impact on an adolescent’s emotional and social development than the encouragement and support of loving parents (Way, 206). Consistency within adolescent friendships is heavily impacted by the attractiveness of the alternatives available, the personality and temperament of those involved in the relationship, and the setting in which the friendship is fostered (Branje, 2007; Chan & Poulin, 2007). These same-sex friendships are contain elements of self-disclosure, emotional closeness, and the satisfaction of the need for interpersonal connections and acceptance into society (Veniegas and Peplau 1997; Demir & Davidson, 2013; Zarbatany, Conley, & Pepper,