A clique can be defined as small, exclusive groups of friends who share common traits and interests. Cliques are generally developed in middle school and reach their peak by high school. As kids age and mature their social world expands and their parents have less control over the activities and actions the child does. In middle school preadolescents begin to develop a more advanced and complex relationship with other peers, acceptance and approval within become very important. When teenagers progress to high school these relationships become stronger and more important, in some cases this causes teens to struggle to comprehend where they fit in and who they are as a person. This beginning process of finding their own identity is a “critical component of healthy social development” says Mandel in his article Social Life in Middle and High School: dealing with cliques and bullies (1). Common cliques are called jocks, nerds, preppies, druggies, goth’s, and normal’s. Many studies show that a human’s personal identity is formed by the building blocks they develop from their cliques in school. The preadolescent and adolescent years are very crucial years in a human beings life and the choices the person makes during this time can severely impact who they are as a person.
It is well recognized that relationships become increasingly important during adolescence. Close friends are more accepting than parents, who are necessarily more oriented toward the future and concerned with the potentially negative consequences of their child’s behavior. This greater level of acceptance within the friendship and tendency to focus on the present helps peers get through hard times and acquire advice when they need it. Research findings indicate that, compared with well-liked youths, so-called rejected youths are more likely to exhibit aggression as well as other conduct and emotional