Social Withdrawal During Adolescence: The Role of Peers

Social withdrawal refers to the behavioral tendency to remove oneself from familiar and unfamiliar peers (Rubin, Coplan, & Bowker, 2009). In this chapter we review the research on social withdrawal during the adolescent developmental period (10–18 years), with an emphasis on findings concerning the significance of peers. Following the framework outlined by Rubin and colleagues (Rubin, Bukowski, & Bowker, 2015), we distinguish between peer experiences that occur at the two major levels of social complexity, the group (e.g., rejection, exclusion) and dyadic (e.g., friendships) levels. We conclude with suggestions for future research, such as the need to broaden who it is that is studied as a peer, to further understanding of the numerous ways in which peers contribute to the adolescent social withdrawal experience.