Boys have closer bonding than girls, finds study

Boys, a new study suggests your bonds of friendships last longer than that of girls.

Ever wondered why friendship between men has always been publicized more? Any idea why Sholay, Andaaz Apna Apna, Dil Chahta hai, Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara or 3 idiots were made with an all-boys group? Today, you'll find an answer. Forget the mean girls, according to a new study boys are more 'cliquey' than girls. They also are said to form close bonds since school.

For all those who are wondering what a clique is, it is used to describe a group of individuals who exclusively interact with one another and do not allow outsiders to be a part of the group. According to a finding published in the journal PLOS ONE, factors such as location and timetable may have an impact on the social networks that children develop.

Boys form thicker bonds and do not, leave the group very easily. Friendships or healthy emotional connect with people is a protective factor against depression and also in other mental illnesses. People with good friendships have better prognosis when they are stressed, than people who have low social contact.

"Social mixing patterns are commonly used in mathematical models of infectious disease which can play a vital role in public health planning, such as determining effective vaccination strategies. Children's mixing patterns are recognised as particularly important, as they represent a key risk group for disease transmission. As school is the primary location for many of their interactions, understanding how children socialise there is vital," the study suggested.

The researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of Cambridge in the UK examined the features and structure of children's social networks within different schools. The finding is the result of a study into UK school children's real-life social networks by The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in partnership with the University of Cambridge.

During the course of research, the study found that boys were more likely to form 'tight-knit bonds' than girls and stuck to this group throughout their school years. The study noted that the friendships among girls were more varied.

"Previous studies have typically looked at social interactions over a single day, so there has been limited information available on how much variation there might be in social mixing patterns over time in schools," said Adam Kucharski, lead author at LSHTM.

"Showing boys are potentially more cliquey than girls, perhaps is going against gender stereotypes, and that popular children remain popular over time, is an interesting social insight; but for mathematical modellers, this type of information is also extremely valuable," said Kucharski.

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