“In the second edition of this handbook, editors Bukowski, Laursen, and Rubin have assembled an impressive team of leading scholars, delivering revised and new topics on peer interactions, relationships, and groups. Half the content of the book is new to the second edition….The handbook is a must read for academics with interest in peer interactions and relationships. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.”

—Choice Reviews


“Meets or exceeds the criteria that we may expect for a 'true' developmental handbook....The scope of the volume is also impressive and the structure is logical and well organized....The editors and authors of this volume represent the 'A-list' of researchers and theorists working in this area and there is no comparable resource available....Researchers and instructors will find this collection useful for refining and expanding their own work and for introducing colleagues and students to the state of the art in peer relations research. The work presented here and the overview that these experts provide gives one an excellent sense of how the field has grown and expanded, where the active lines of research currently lie, and where they might be headed....This handbook [is] a solid investment for anyone who needs to access the state of the art or wishes to see where it might be headed.”

—Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology (on the first edition)


“Certainly the definitive volume on the social development of children from infancy to adolescence....An indisputable resource for anyone interested in socio-emotional development. Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.”

—Choice Reviews (on the first edition)


“The second edition of this handbook provides the definitive summary of research on children’s peer relations. Even for the seasoned veteran, there is much to learn here. Findings from individual differences research synergize with developmental findings in novel ways. For example, we learn from Hay, Caplan, and Nash that species-wide development in social cognition presages species-wide growth in play, and from McDonald and Asher that individual differences in social cognition predict individual differences in peer acceptance. The field has matured to the point where Lansford’s capstone chapter on public policy now has the authority of strong empirical science.”

—Kenneth A. Dodge, PhD, Pritzker Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University


“The contributors to this second edition are a 'who's who' of researchers in peer relationships. The breadth of topics is equally impressive, covering everything from effects of genes, popularity, and income to the evolutionary bases of peer relations and their links to mental health. The book embodies an impressive range of disciplinary perspectives. Perhaps most important, the individual chapters are interesting and provocative—they not only thoroughly review the literature, but also take a stance and make new points that should help advance the field. The editors and contributors are to be commended for an outstanding work!”

—Joseph P. Allen, PhD, Hugh P. Kelly Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia


“The second edition of this handbook reviews recent advances in the field and presents a complete picture of relevant theories and research methods. The volume offers a multidisciplinary perspective on peer relations in both typical and atypical development. Peer relations are explored in all of their dimensions, from the influences of individual differences and cultural contexts to the dynamics of dyads, groups, friendships, and romantic relationships. Among the book's numerous strengths are discussions of intervention and policy issues, as well as new content on neuroscience.”

—Simona C. S. Caravita, PhD, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy


“Impressive in its scope and coverage of the literature on children’s peer relations. The second edition includes comprehensive, current updates on such topics as the relation between peer acceptance or rejection and children's later adjustment. There are new chapters on intriguing, scientifically important topics, including how children function within networks and groups. Valuable reading.”

—John E. Lochman, PhD, ABPP, Professor and Doddridge Saxon Chairholder in Clinical Psychology, University of Alabama