CHILDRENS RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADULTS AND PEERS - AN EXAMINATION OF ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR-HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS

Social and affective processes connected to children's relationships i nside and outside the school setting are important factors in children 's successful adaptation to school. This study examines the relationsh ips of 1,226 low-risk elementary and middle school children across a v ariety of relationship partners. Descriptive data on the profile of th ese school-aged children's patterns of relatedness with others are pre sented. Developmental trends are explored as well. There is a shift in the self-reported quality of children's relationships with adults (mo thers and teachers) and peers (best friends and classmates) from eleme ntary school to middle school. In middle school, children report more positive perceptions of their relationships with peers and less positi ve perceptions of their relationships with adults than do elementary s chool children. These findings are discussed in terms of the implicati ons that children's interpersonal relationships have for facilitating readiness to learn and active engagement in school. Limitations of the present study and methodological issues connected to the assessment o f relationships are discussed as well. (C) 1997 Society for the Study of School Psychology.