Positive relationships: All about ... Childhood friendships

Children's friendships, and peer relationships in general, do not exist in isolation or suddenly appear, but rather originate in and are built on the child's earlier relationships within the family.

Children's relationships with the primary caregiver and the rest of the immediate family provide an experiential foundation and set the tone and expectations children hold for their future peer relationships.

Research by Alan Sroufe and his co-workers has shown that infants with a secure attachment to their caregivers do subsequently tend to be more effective with their peers, an advantage carried forward throughout the childhood years.

These children appear confident and curious, skilful, socially oriented and empathic, and act in a co-operative, friendly and outgoing manner to other children. All of these characteristics can play an important role in promoting and sustaining children's friendships, and securely attached children consequently tend to be more popular and have more friends. But as we shall see, psychologists have come up with strategies that can be used to help children who are struggling to improve their friendship networks.