The peer relationships and friendships of socially withdrawn children

During the past three decades, the topic of children's peer relationships has taken a prominent position in the fields of developmental and clinical psychology. This reflects, in part, a growing conviction that children who enjoy strong and positive relationships with peers fare well in their social and academic lives and that those who suffer from peer rejection and friendlessness may be "at risk " for later socioemotional and academic difficulties (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, in press). Why the latter group is at risk has not been well addressed from the perspective of a “grand theory ” of peer interactions and relationships. And yet, there is a good deal of consensus across diverse theoretical perspectives as to the many benefits of peer interactions and relationships in childhood and adolescence. Theories relevant to the study of peer interactions and relationships: A brief overview Piaget (1932), in his earliest writings, portrayed children's relationships with peers, unlike their relationships with adults, as being relatively balanced, egalitarian, and as falling along a more-or-less horizontal plane of power assertion and dominance. It was within this egalitarian context that Piaget believed children could experience opportunities to examine conflicting ideas and explanations, to negotiate and discuss multiple perspectives, and to decide to compromise with or to reject the notions held by peers. From such interactions, Piaget argued that children came to develop the capacity for sensitive perspective-taking; in turn, the ability t