How peers provide opportunities to practice social skills?

The extent to which we area able to make friends and establish meaningful relationships in life depends on social skills. Peers, and especially close friends, provide opportunities to PRACTICE these skills (Meadows, 2010; Coplan & Arbeau, 2009). For example, students who have well-developed social skills are ACCEPTED by others, which gives them even more opportunities to practice and refine their social skills, whereas those lacking these skills are often REJECTED by peers, leading to fewer opportunities to practice and develop (Cillessen, Schwartz, & Mayuex, 2011; Mayuex, Houser, & Dyches, 2011; Rubin, Coplan, Chen, Bowker, & McDonald, 2011). Rejected students are often impulsive and aggressive, and over time they tend to withdraw. As a result, their learning and development suffer (Bellmore, 2011; Swearer, Espelage, Vaillancourt, & Hymel, 2010).