As children move into adolescence, two important and contradictory changes regarding peer groups and psychopathology occur. While friendships become characterized more by emotional support than they did in earlier years (especially so for girls), rates for internalizing disorders, particularly depression, increase (again, especially so for girls). Since supportive friendships should protect against internalizing symptoms, researchers have examined the process of intimate disclosure--how youth discuss personal thoughts and feelings--as a potential explanation for this contradiction. This paper will explore youths' responses to disclosure and the impact of these responses. A review of the literature reveals three constructs from different areas of psychology that offer insight into the disclosure process: reciprocity of disclosure, excessive reassurance seeking and co-rumination. A critical examination indicates that they over-lap greatly, and, may not, in fact, be truly distinct. Developmental differences and gender differences are similar among the constructs, with adolescents tending to disclose more and respond more in-depth than children, and the same being true for girls compared to boys. All are linked with internalizing symptoms, particularly for girls. Rather than viewing children's friendships as superficial (especially those of boys), perhaps it would be advantageous to consider them as models for appropriate disclosure. Various types of prevention will be discussed with this notion in mind.