Special Education Theses and Dissertations

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Friendship Tie Formation Among Youth with and without Disabilities in High School: A Social Network Analysis
(University of Oregon, 2020-02-27) Bromley, Katherine; Murray, Christopher
This study evaluates dyadic, contextual, and network factors believed to contribute to the maintenance and formation of friendship ties among youth with and without disabilities in high school. The sample included 2,973 youth in ten high schools. Changes in friendship ties across one academic year were evaluated using stochastic-actor oriented models (SAOMs). Results from the SAOMs of each school indicated youth in large, but not small schools, were more likely to send ties to peers with similar disability status. Moderation analyses by ego disability status indicated the predictors of friendship ties did not differ significantly for youth with disabilities, except in two schools where youth with disabilities were less likely to send ties to peers in similar grades and from the same neighborhood, but more likely to send ties to peers of the same gender. Implications for research and practice are discussed, including the need for additional research to evaluate which combinations of peer characteristics are critical for network interventions.