Confiding in a friend when unhappy or worried tended to be something which young women rather than young men were inclined to do. The more negative and distressing aspects of friendship are rarely examined in the literature on adolescence. By way of exploring this neglected area members of the YPLL panel group were invited to talk about problems experienced with friends. Such discussions highlighted the significance of arguments and broken friendships. Young people are not alone in having problems with friendships, but the psycho-social issues that confront adolescents make it more certain that such difficulties are likely to be of concern to them.
Adolescents can be highly egocentric.
They sometimes find it difficult to see other people's point of view and to interpret other people's behaviour. They can be touchy and hypersensitive to rejection, and their social skills are, as yet, underdeveloped. Equally, at times, adolescents feel the need to 'escape' and to be on their own. The answers highlighted young people's desire for a private place of their own. Other places frequently mentioned were walks in parks or woods.