Loneliness and Interpersonal Relationships Across the School Years

Development is a cumulative process involving an interplay between the individual and the social environment. The school years, in particular, encompass changes in a multitude of domains (i.e., physical, cognitive, affective, and interpersonal). These changes do not take place in isolation nor do they necessarily proceed at the same pace. Maturation, environmental factors, asynchronies in development, and antecedent experiences may all serve to facilitate or impede the successful transition from childhood to adulthood.