ABSTRACT
When researchers try to characterize the role of peer influences in child development, they find themselves caught between two extremes. Five decades ago, the dominant position was that the role of peers was almost negligible. The important influences that shaped children’s development were all considered to come from adults, and mainly from parents and teachers. There was little empirical research on the developmental impact of peers. For the most part, children’s relationships with other children were considered to be outcomes of healthy development and diagnostic indicators of their social functioning.
