Abstract

A fundamental hypothesis of peer relationships research is that positive relationships with peers, including friendships, can protect children from the detrimental effects of non-optimal relationships with parents. The current study examined whether positive peer relations moderate the association between negativity in the parent-child relationship and psychosocial adjustment. Early adolescents (N = 430, mean age = 11 years old) rated the quality of their relationships with their mother, father and best friend, indicated which of 1their peers was a best friend (i.e., peer acceptance) and rated their perceived social competence and self-worth. Children with negative relations with their parents were expected to be less well-adjusted than those with less negative parental relations. It was also hypothesized that two aspects of positive peer relations, namely friendship quality and peer group acceptance, would moderate the association between negative parental relations and child adjustment. Multiple regression was used to examine interactions between parent and peer measures in their association with children's social competence and self-worth. Social competence was inversely related to paternal negativity and positively related to friendship support and peer acceptance. Friendship support interacted with maternal negativity in its association with social competence, even when controlling for peer acceptance. Self-worth was inversely related to maternal and paternal negativity and, to a lesser extent, the association with paternal negativity was moderated by friendship support. These findings highlight the developmental significance of friendship during early adolescence and provide evidence for the hypothesized protective effects of peer relations.