The Evolution of Youth Friendship Networks from 6th to 12th Grade: School Transitions, Popularity and Centrality

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the crucial role of friendship networks in adolescent life. It examines changes in youth friendship networks over a relatively long period of time. The developmental processes of aging and maturation over the life course are apt to contribute to substantial alterations in adolescent friendships, creating patterns that may not be readily visible on the basis of one or two data points. In addition, almost all young people experience significant life transitions when they matriculate from elementary school to middle school and then from middle to high school. The chapter first documents changes in youth friendship networks over six years, beginning in 6th grade and ending in 12th. Second, building on a life course perspective, it examines the degree to which two life transitions for young people influence their friendship networks, those of departing elementary school to attend middle school and leaving middle school to attend high school. The chapter then focuses on changes in two central social network dimensions, those of indegree, or popularity, and network centrality. The authors use data from the Promoting School-Community Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) study, which provides us with a uniquely large sample of over 50 adolescent friendship networks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)