Understanding how girls navigate friendships with boys during adolescence

Support in adolescents' cross-gender friendships: Understanding girls' disadvantage

NIH-funded research University of Missouri-Columbia · NIH-10869696

This study looks at how girls and boys can be friends during their teenage years, focusing on how girls feel about these friendships and the support they give each other when sharing personal problems.

Quick facts

Grant typeR03 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Missouri-Columbia NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Columbia, United States)
Project IDNIH-10869696 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates the dynamics of cross-gender friendships among adolescents, particularly focusing on how girls experience these relationships. By observing interactions between 60 pairs of cross-gender friends, the study aims to identify behaviors that contribute to positive perceptions of these friendships. Adolescents will disclose personal problems to their friends, allowing researchers to analyze the types of support provided. The findings could shed light on the unique challenges girls face in these friendships and how they can be better supported.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for participation are adolescents aged 12 to 20 who have cross-gender friendships.

Not a fit: Patients who do not have cross-gender friendships or are outside the age range of 12 to 20 may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enhance understanding of cross-gender friendships, leading to improved social support strategies for adolescents, particularly girls.

How similar studies have performed: While there has been extensive research on same-gender friendships, this focus on cross-gender friendships is relatively novel and has not been extensively studied.

Where this research is happening

Columbia, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.