Abstract

This study explores the subjective experiences and perceptions related to intimacy in friendships in a group of aggressive-popular adolescents in urban schools characterized by high rates of community violence. Individual interviews were conducted with 12 volunteering adolescents (12–14 years old). Procedures from grounded theory were used to enable thematic coding, departing from a social identity, socio-emotional, and ecological perspective. The narratives by adolescents highlighted the influence the social environment in which they grew had on individual psychological conditions that shape their emotional responses, self-concept, and beliefs. They exhibit aggressive behavior and to value popularity as an adaptive form of social survival, and belonging. Their social behavior has influence on their friendships face challenges, especially regarding the perception of envy from friends and the associated self-disclosure constraints when individuals are involved in high-violence contexts. © The Author(s) 2022.