The assessment of cliques in bound child and adolescent groups: A systematic scoping review

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this systematic scoping review was to examine research that has assessed cliques within bound child and adolescent groups. A total of 10,878 studies were obtained from six research databases, with 68 studies ultimately being included. Results highlighted a range of methods used for the assessment of cliques with social network analysis and peer nominations being most prevalent. Moreover, research question(s) were encompassed within the following categories: antecedent‐oriented (n = 13), outcome‐oriented (n = 43) or the general nature of cliques (n = 12). These findings demonstrate the complexity of cliques and the need for nuanced approaches to exploring their implications for youth.