Friends influence middle schoolers’ attitudes toward peers of different ethnicities, races

The United States is increasingly diverse ethnically and racially. Studies have shown that for young people, simply being around peers from different ethnic and racial backgrounds may not be enough to improve attitudes toward and relationships with other groups. Instead, children and adolescents also need to value spending time and forming relationships with peers from diverse groups. A new study examined how friends in middle school affect each other’s attitudes about interacting with peers of different ethnicities and races, finding that they influence each other’s racial and ethnic views significantly.