School friendships and social connections are vital to positive student experiences so need to be actively fostered, according to findings from the Our Voices project at the University of Auckland.

Peer friendships and caring social connections with teachers and other school community members are central to students’ experiences of school, according to two recently published reports from the Our Voices project at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland.
 
The reports analysed responses to a range of general wellbeing questions from 1,000 13-year-olds in theGrowing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) longitudinal study.
 
One of the reports’ authors, Dr Emma Marks, a research fellow in Social and Community Health, says the latest research shows how important it is for schools and other groups to create a range of opportunities for social connection, both in and out of school.
 
“Respondents felt that increasing school engagement should focus not only on learning and achievement, but also on offering students’ good experiences to make school more attractive; for example, teachers who care about a young person in their entirety, not just as a learner, and extracurricular activities that help them ‘find their people’,” she says.
 
Young people mostly felt a sense of belonging with friends and whānau through talking, having fun together and positive emotional engagement. However, they believed strengthening those things takes time and opportunity, says Marks.
 
“They need to be given a range of opportunities to develop meaningful social connections, particularly during school transitions, like moving from intermediate to high school, when they can get separated from friends.”
 
She says a sense of belonging can be created in different contexts and groups, including between peers, family, sports teams and cultural groups, and on social media, although that comes with pitfalls.
 
“The ease of communicating on social media provides opportunities for friendships and connections beyond the school environment but also comes with risks our respondents were well aware of; in particular cyberbullying.”
 
However, she says it is clear social media is an important part of many young people’s social lives, and that they use it to feel connected to “friends, family, others, everyone, and the world.”
 
Marks says bullying remains a significant concern, especially for anyone who is seen as ‘different’ or not ‘fitting in’, but friendships can create a ballast.

“Having friends is important across all life stages, but particularly during adolescence, when young people are more likely to spend time with peers in and out of school than with their family.”
 
The reports note that challenges for young people, both in school and out, vary in type and who’s most affected, depending on things like home environment, learning abilities, individual differences and peer pressure.
 
“So having a better understanding of these particular challenges can help target support to those who need it most,” says Marks.
 
Respondents viewed friends as being similar to themselves, with shared qualities and interests, and as worthy of being cherished and valued, the reports note.
 
“However, the data clearly shows not all young people have friends, and some feel like they don’t belong anywhere,” says Marks.
 
She says young people have good ideas about how to make school a more inclusive place, but recognise they need support from school staff and leadership to make this happen.
 
“Some of their ideas included more effective antibullying programmes, more teacher intervention and clearer disciplinary action.”
 
“Other suggestions included greater efforts to support students’ mental health, smaller classes, and removing ability groupings (that put students in the same year in different groups for subjects like Maths and English, depending on perceived ability).
 
The Our Voices project aims to understand what young people in Aotearoa need to thrive to inform policies and services focused on supporting their wellbeing.
 
A further two reports will focus on the influence of teachers and how young people seek help to solve problems.
 
The project was funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment and involves a multidisciplinary team of national and international experts.

Visit the Our Voices website for the full reports: https://ourvoices.auckland.ac.nz/
 
‘School Experiences: Overcoming Challenges’ by Dawson-Bruce, R., Rudd, G., Peterson, E. R., Marks, E., Walker, C., & Meissel, K. (2025).
‘Social Connections: In-person and online’ by Fan, J., Ogden S. E., Rudd, G., Marks E., Peterson, E. R., Walker, C. G. & Meissel, K. (2025).
 
Tō Mātou Rerenga – Our Journey app and Growing Up in New Zealand
 
Data was collected within Tō Mātou Rerenga – Our Journey, an app co-designed by University of Auckland researchers alongside young people from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study (GUiNZ).
 
GUiNZ recruited over 6,000 New Zealand children born between 2009 and 2010, with the aim of creating an in-depth summary of what life is like for them and what factors affect their happiness, health and development.