While research has outlined the nature of children's friendships as socialization contexts, the outline is drawn mostly in modal terms. Situational or contextual variations also need attention. This paper reports findings of studies of conflicts and the implications of conflict for friendship relations. The studies vary widely in the situations in which conflict was observed and in other ways, such as the children's ages and the measurement strategies used. Two hypotheses emerging from the results concern the significance of children's friendships as socialization contexts. The hypotheses emerged from the contrasting of conflict management between friends and nonfriends of various ages in various situations. When the social situation is open, friends seek to minimize or soften conflicts with each other in the rate with which they occur, their affective intensity, and the equitability of the outcome. When the situation is closed, and resolution alternatives are not numerous, friends are freer to disagree. Children's friendships thus support disagreements and oppositions, but this support varies according to the situation. It is concluded that contextual constraints support the continuation of children's relationships with each other. (RH)