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Bidirectional Associations Between Friend Overprotection and Psychosocial Adjustment During Adolescence

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Abstract

As friends increase in closeness and influence during adolescence, some friends may become overprotective, or excessively and intrusively protective. Engaging in overprotective behavior, and being the recipient of such behavior, may have positive and negative adjustment trade-offs. The current study examines, for the first time, bidirectional associations between friend overprotection and several adjustment trade-offs, including internalizing problems (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms), peer difficulties (i.e., rejection and physical and relational victimization), and positive friendship quality (i.e., closeness, help, and security) during early adolescence. Participants were 269 young adolescents (140 boys; Mage = 11.46, SD = 0.41) who completed self-report and peer nomination measures in their schools at two time points 4 months apart (Fall and Spring of the school year). Structural equation models revealed that being overprotected by a friend predicted decreases in friendship quality and was predicted by peer difficulties and internalizing problems (negatively). Being overprotective of friends predicted increases in internalizing symptoms and was predicted by peer difficulties. Findings are novel as they suggest that friend overprotection may be risky (and not beneficial) for both the overprotector and the overprotectee, setting the stage for future inquiry in this new area of peer relations research.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the adolescents and schools that participated in this research. The authors also thank Drs. Jamie Ostrov, Leonard Simms, Lora Park, and Samuel Meisel, for their consultation on the development of this research.

Authors’ Contributions

RE conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, performed the measurement and statistical analysis, participated in the design and interpretation of the data, and drafted the manuscript; JB participated in designing and coordinating the study, designing and interpreting the data, and helped to draft the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

Partial financial support for this study was received from the University at Buffalo Mark Diamond Research Fund.

Data Sharing Declaration

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, 350 George St., New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Rebecca G. Etkin

  2. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Julie C. Bowker

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  1. Rebecca G. Etkin
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Correspondence to Rebecca G. Etkin.

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Approval for this study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the University at Buffalo. The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Etkin, R.G., Bowker, J.C. Bidirectional Associations Between Friend Overprotection and Psychosocial Adjustment During Adolescence. J Youth Adolescence 52, 780–793 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01741-6

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