Companions or peers with whom one has common interests, emotional bonds, and social relationships.

Why have friends? "To have somebody to play with," responds the 9-year-old. "So you won't be alone. To have someone to back you up, to stand by you," answers the 12-year-old. These two replies reflect a developmental perspective on friends and friendships that appears to be characteristic of children in diverse cultures and societies.

Although children have many peers in playgroups, classrooms, and neighborhoods, they have a more select group of friends and an even smaller number of "best" friends. Carollee Howes noted that friendships in preschools emerge out of mutual social attraction and a "climate of agreement," in which children find it easy to be with each other and to engage in the sort of activities they both enjoy. These early friendships provide children with opportunities to cooperate and communicate with others. Consequently...