Caring friendships

Definition

The proportion of 11 to 16 year olds who agree or strongly agree that they and their friends help each other out, as measured by the Victoria University Youth Connectedness Study 2007.

Relevance

Supportive peer relationships can have positive effects on self esteem, encourage educational achievement and engagement, and foster pro-social behaviour. High quality friendships have also been shown to ward off loneliness.

Current level and trends

In the 2007 Youth Connectedness Study the vast majority of young people (89.1 percent) reported that they and their friends helped each other out.

Only a very small minority (1.5 percent) disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement.

Agreement of young people aged 11 to 16 with the statement "My friends and I help each other out", 2007

Source: Youth Connectedness Study 2007

These results are very similar to those of 2006, when 91.4 percent of the same young people (at ages 10 to 15) reported that they and their friends helped each other out, and again, 1.5 percent disagreed with this statement. (1)

Notes

1. 2006 data is for ages 10 to 15, compared to 11 to 16 in 2007. The study found no statistically significant differences between age groups (divided into two-year age bands) in either year.