Is it good or bad for my child to be in a clique?

Is it good or bad for my child to be in a clique?

Harvey Hoyo (President, California School Counselors Association) gives expert video advice on: Should I buy clothes for my child so he can dress like his peers?; How do I help my child resist peer pressure at school? and more...

A clique, as it's used now, usually means a tight group of friends. In some settings that's good. That can be very positive. In other settings it can be very damaging. The wise parent understands what the goals are, implied or unstated, doesn't matter, or stated, of the clique and, if it's a positive kind of thing, if they're a group of football players and they really band together because they're just really good friends, or they're study group partners and they just band together or they're kids in the neighborhood that band together, nothing wrong with that. However, if they decide to band together and steal hub caps, obviously, that can have negative repercussions. You don't want to encourage that.