2.1 Dealing with difficult relationships

Friends become more important the older a child gets and play an important part in a child’s personal, social and emotional development. Friends can be used as sounding boards for young people to evaluate their likes and dislikes and test who they want to be. However, children with SEND tend to be less accepted by their peers. This rejection can become a source of stress for children and young people, particularly when it escalates into bullying or victimisation.