Relationship...........Friendship Is Important to Teens

Peer relationships are very important to teens.



·         Friendships provide teens with opportunities to develop conflict resolution skills. Teens can learn how to end a fight and still remain friends.
·         Friends provide fun and excitement for teens through companionship and recreation.
·         Friends also give advice to one another. Teens talk through lots of issues and problems with their friends.
·         Loyalty is a valued trait in friendship. Teens are looking for loyal allies that can help them out at school or in their own neighborhood.
·          Friendships also provide stability during times of stress or transition. It is helpful to teens to have a friend who is going through the same situations and can ease the anxieties of the times.


What happens when youth don't have friends?


Teens without friends tend to be more lonely and unhappy. They tend to have lower levels of academic achievement and lower self esteem. As they get older, they are more apt to drop out of school and to get involved in delinquent activities.
Friendships change as youth move into their teen years.
• Teens tend to spend more time with their peers.
• They are also more mobile than when younger so more time is spent with peers without parental supervision.
• During the teen years, there will be increased contact with opposite-sex peers.
• In the early teen years, often small groups of friends or cliques are formed which help to boost their confidence and give them a sense of identity.