Intercommunity Relocation and Adolescent Friendships: Who Struggles and Why?.

This study examined how relocation to a new community affects intimacy and companionship in close friendships by comparing experiences of early adolescents who began their 7th or 8th grade school year in a new community (111 boys, 96 girls) with those of residentially stable agemates (30 boys, 38 girls). Drawing from a developmental-contextual, multisystem conceptual framework and using a person- centered analytic approach, the study provides strong evidence that most adolescents experience a relatively brief period of diminished access to companionship and intimacy with close friends following relocation. The extent of diminution may be greater for adolescents with social anxiety or behavioral concerns. Findings have implications for families who are facing a move and for clinicians working with recently relocated adolescents. Relocation to a new community during early adolescence pre- sents numerous challenges and opportunities at a period of devel- opment characterized by marked biological, cognitive, and social changes. Almost invariably, intercommunity relocation requires a change of schools and the loss or lessening of most premove personal social ties outside the immediate household. Parents of relocating adolescents often express concern about potential dis- ruptions in their child's social networks and academic careers. Adolescents facing relocation also express concern about leaving familiar friendships, making new friends, and entering a new school (Vernberg & Randall, 1997). Success in making friends may facilitate adolescents' adaptation to their new home and help them recover from homesickness (Van Tilburg, Vingerhoets, & Van Heck, 1999). Alternatively, difficulties in establishing close friendships may contribute to personal distress, such as feelings of loneliness (Hoza, Bukowski, & Beery, 2000), depression (Nangle, Erdley, Newman, Mason, & Carpenter, 2003), or social anxiety (La Greca & Harrison, 2005). Despite these concerns, research on the impact of relocation on adolescents' peer relationships remains sparse and inconclusive. From a practical standpoint, it is important to develop evidence- based methods to gauge the likelihood that an individual adoles- cent will struggle with friendship formation after relocating. Such knowledge may be useful to parents as they weigh the costs and benefits of intercommunity relocation. Equally important, this research may suggest strategies for clinicians who may be in- volved in efforts to lessen negative impacts of relocation for adolescents who typically struggle after moving. The current study focuses on relocation to a new community during early adolescence and examines individual differences in two key aspects of adolescents' close friendships, intimacy and companionship, in the year following relocation. Intimacy in ad- olescent friendships reflects self-disclosure, trust, and feelings of connectedness (Buhrmester, 1990). This aspect of friendships is thought to be important for feelings of acceptance, emotional closeness, and liking by a valued peer, and it also sets the stage for social support and problem solving (Berndt, 1992; Buhrmester & Furman, 1987). Girls generally rate intimacy in relationships as more important than boys do, and close friendships appear to provide a particularly important source of intimacy for girls by early adolescence (Buhrmester & Furman, 1987). Companionship refers to the amount of time friends spend together in various contexts and activities. This coparticipation in activities reflects liking and acceptance and also provides an opportunity for shared pleasurable experiences (Furman & Robbins, 1985). Because age- related changes in intimacy and companionship may be con- founded with relocation effects, the study also includes a sample of residentially stable adolescents. Drawing from a developmental- contextual, multisystem conceptual framework (e.g., Lerner, 2002; Masten, 2005), we assess the impact of relocation on intimacy and companionship in close friendships and consider how individual, familial, and contextual factors may play a role in shaping these experiences.