Adolescent Self-Esteem and Perceived Relationships with Parents and Peers

Adolescence is widely recognized as a period of change in the form and focus of interpersonal relationships. The nature of the social networks that adolescents experience is generally thought to be broader and qualitatively different from that of most younger children. Much theoretical (e.g., Bios, 1979; Freud, 1905/1962) and recent empirical work (Grotevant & Cooper, 1985; Hill, 1980; Montemayor, 1983) has illustrated the changing nature of adolescents’ relationships with their parents as they begin to disengage from the family and build more extensive peer networks. These changes involve not only who is seen but also how often. Furthermore, the quality of the relationships undergoes changes. As Bigelow and LaGaipa (1975) have noted, early adolescence marks the beginning of an increased awareness of the importance of emotional support and intimacy in friendships.