A sense of peer connectedness is the level of closeness experienced in relationships between youth. Youth often turn to their peers, or friends, for emotional support and advice to help cope with various challenges in life. Youth who have close friends are more likely to experience positive mental health.[1]
Youth who report high levels of peer connectedness |
About the MeasureThis measure is collected from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) Youth Survey that gathers self-reported well-being data from grade 7 and 10 students. The survey asks students how much they agree with the following statements:
Students’ responses to the above statements are totalled and then given a high or low Peer Connectedness score. Key FindingsAcross the three Youth Survey cycles, there was a decline in the percentage of students reporting high levels of peer connectedness. More grade 7 than grade 10 students reported high levels of peer connectedness. Data by gender and grade, as well as data at the municipal level, can be found in the downloadable Excel file at the bottom of this page.
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Source: WDG Youth Survey, 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2017-18. WDG Report Card Coalition. Last updated September 5, 2018.
LimitationsThe WDG Youth Survey collects self-reported data and is subject to response bias and recall bias. |
[1] Edge, H.M., & Craig, W. (2012). Peers. Ottawa, ON: Public Health Agency of Canada. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/dca-dea/publications/hbsc-mental-mentale/peers-camarades-eng.php