Peers

Friendships and other peer relationships significantly impact children’s social-emotional development and future psychosocial wellbeing. It is critical to understand how peer relationships shape children’s overall development and adjustment and to identify children at risk of poor outcomes. This chapter gives an overview of the importance of peer relationships, reviews potential problems in peer relationships and how they impact children’s social-emotional development, discusses potentially vulnerable populations, and provides practical resources and recommendations for clinicians and families.