Trajectories of cross-ethnic friendships and their associations with school adjustment in ethnic minority adolescents

Cross-ethnic peer relations are pivotal for ethnic minority adolescents. However, there is limited understanding of how their cross-ethnic friendships with majority peers in school develop over time. Addressing this, this study aimed to investigate individual trajectories of cross-ethnic friendship in school and how they predict long-term school adjustment. Our sample consisted of 1,445 Turkish- and Moroccan-heritage minority adolescents in 70 Belgian middle schools (52.6% boys, Mage = 15.07; 76.3% second generation), followed across three annual waves over 3 years. Latent growth mixture models of their repeated self-reported cross-ethnic friendships with majority peers revealed four distinct trajectories: maintaining (32.7%), gaining (9.3%), losing (10.5%), and never having cross-ethnic friendships (47.6%). Adolescents who maintained or gained cross-ethnic friendships experienced stronger school adjustment, including increased belonging and engagement. Conversely, adolescents who never had or lost such friendships showed poorer school adjustment. These results highlight the importance of cross-ethnic friendships in the school context, particularly for ethnic minority adolescents. Public Significance Statement<br /> Ethnic minority adolescents' friendships and interactions with majority peers showed diverse patterns, including maintaining, gaining, losing, or never having cross-ethnic friendships over time. Those who maintained or gained friendships reported stronger school adjustment than those who never had or lost friendships. This research informs interventions and policies for academic success in diverse educational settings, offering valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and community stakeholders striving for inclusive environments in education.