Abstract

The current study examined the development of prosocial and aggressive behaviors in youth as related to the selection and influence of friends, and the potential moderating role of gender and relationship with their teacher in these processes. Participants were fifth and sixth graders from 48 classrooms and were followed from the start to the end of the semester in the Mid-West of the U.S. Across the school year, there was a tendency for youth to select peers who were similar to themselves as friends and to be influenced by their friends in regard to both aggressive and prosocial behaviors. However, friend selection and influence processes were moderated by youth's gender and relationship with their teacher. Boys were more attracted to aggressive peers and less attracted to prosocial peers as friends, and were more influenced than girls by their friends' aggressive behavior over time. Further, when youth had a more positive relationship with their teacher, they were more likely to select peers who were highly prosocial and less aggressive as friends. Overall, results indicate that youth's gender and relationship with their teacher play an important role in friendship dynamics and social behavior development.