A recent study sheds light on how friendships with children of another gender or race can help develop kindness and readiness to support classmates. The project involved 603 schoolchildren from the United States aged 7–11.
It turned out that cross-gender friendships—between boys and girls—particularly strengthen empathy toward children of other races. Researchers referred to this as the “secondary transfer effect,” where friendship with someone from one differing group leads to greater responsiveness toward children who differ on other traits.
The results are based on classmates’ feedback, which increases the reliability of the conclusions. A positive effect was seen in children of all races and genders, but it was slightly more noticeable among racial minority groups.
This research adds to a new direction in child psychology, shifting the emphasis from fighting prejudice to developing inclusive, kind behavior from an early age. In a world where cultural and gender diversity are part of everyday life, these findings are especially relevant for schools and families, helping cultivate openness and willingness to help others.
