A collaborative study conducted by researchers from the University of Zurich in Switzerland and Stockholm University in Sweden explored how material well being influences the social life of schoolchildren. The findings indicate that children from lower-income families encounter more difficulty forming friendships compared to their more affluent peers. The research appears in the peer reviewed journal Social Networks (SocNet).
The research team examined data from 4,787 Swedish teenagers aged 14 to 15, drawn from 235 different school classes, and mapped both their social networks and friendship groups. The analysis focused on how family income relates to the likelihood of receiving friendship offers and building a robust social circle within the school setting.
Results showed that low parental income is linked to reduced social integration, a pattern that persists across schools regardless of overall school prestige or resources. Children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds were found to be less often invited into friendship groups and consequently tended to have smaller networks of close connections than their better off peers.
Lead researcher Isabelle Raabe summarized the core insight: students from poorer households are less frequently extended friendship opportunities, leading to smaller friendship circles. This trend held even when students attended the same school and shared similar academic environments, underscoring the role of family income in shaping peer relations.
The study highlights a correlation between the size of a personal friendship network and future social accessibility. Fewer friends in childhood can complicate the process of finding supportive peers later in life, creating a self reinforcing cycle of social marginalization if not addressed.
Researchers suggested practical strategies to counteract this pattern by fostering more inclusive and frequent social interactions among young people. For instance, educators could structure group assignments, team sports, and extracurricular activities with a conscious eye toward the social dynamics within each group, helping students from different backgrounds connect more readily and form meaningful bonds.
Additional findings from related lines of inquiry note that breathing and social skill techniques may benefit children in developing interpersonal competence, particularly for girls in school settings. These complementary approaches can support more balanced social development alongside broader systemic efforts to reduce social isolation among economically disadvantaged students.