By Murray Sherriffs
Concordia University researchers have determined that having a well-liked best friend in elementary school can elevate a child’s social status.
Psychology Prof. William Bukowski says that “…if you want to predict well-being in adulthood, who’s going to be successful and who’s going to end up in prison, the best predictor is probably children’s ability to function with peers during the school age and adolescent years.”
The study followed 252 students from four elementary schools to see how friendships influenced two kinds of isolation in children: withdrawal (choosing to be alone out of shyness or self-consciousness) and exclusion (being purposely left out by others).
The study is published in the journal Child Development.