This study investigated age, gender, and race trends in the development of children's and adolescents' interpersonal relations with their mothers, fathers, male peers, female peers, and teachers. A nation-wide sample of 1,724 White, Black, and Hispanic children and adolescents rated their relationships on the Assessment of Interpersonal Relations scale. Results showed significant variability in relationship type as a function of age, race, and gender characteristics of the students. The analyses depicted children's and adolescents' relationship development as a complex multidimensional phenomenon and suggest that understanding the sequence and nature of children's relationship development should be the foundation upon which clinical practice and further research are based.
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