In historical and traditional single-sex educational environments, the expression "special friendship" (or the original French amitiés particulières) actually has deep currency, though it is almost always used as a euphemism for romantic or homoerotic bonds.

1. Historical & Literary Context

• Catholic Origins:The term was frequently used in seminaries and religious boarding schools to identify intense, exclusive pairings that authorities viewed as a threat to communal discipline.
• Mainstream Recognition: The 1943 novel Les Amitiés Particulières by Roger Peyrefitte brought the term into the cultural lexicon, depicting the chaste yet romantic devotion between boys in a cloistered setting.

2. Connotations in Single-Sex Schools

• Romantic Euphemism: Within the "closed world" of single-sex institutions, "special friend" was a discreet way to label a partner or a crush without using explicit sexual language.
• Institutional Resistance: Educators often banned "special friendships" because they were seen as obsessive, jealous, and a distraction from academic or religious focus.
• Emotional Intensity: These bonds were characterized by inseparability, the exchange of tokens or letters, and a level of emotional intimacy that exceeded standard platonic friendship.

3. Modern Perspective

• Passionate Friendships: Modern sociology often classifies these historical bonds as "passionate friendships"—intense emotional connections that may or may not involve physical intimacy but occupy a unique space between "friend" and "lover."

Would you like to explore how this term appears in Victorian-era literature or its specific usage in English boarding schools?

In Victorian British boys' boarding schools, the "special friendship" was a central yet controversial fixture of student life. These institutions created "closed worlds" where intense emotional bonds were both a developmental ideal and a source of deep institutional anxiety.

1. The Ideal of "Manly Love"

• Christian Gentlemen: Under reformers like Dr. Thomas Arnold, schools aimed to produce "Christian Gentlemen." In the mid-Victorian era, intense, non-sexual "manly love" was seen as a virtuous way to foster character and moral protection.
• Romantic Friendships: Inspired by classical Greek ideals and Tennyson’s In Memoriam, boys were often encouraged to form "passionate friendships" that were seen as a pure, spiritual preparation for adulthood.

2. The "Fagging" System and Power Dynamics

• Protective Bonds: The fagging system (where younger boys served older ones) often facilitated "special friendships" between a senior "protector" and a younger "favorite."
• Private Spaces: Prefects' studies provided rare private environments where these bonds could flourish away from the constant supervision of masters, often blurring the lines between mentorship and romance.

3. The Late-Victorian Shift toward Taboo

• Emerging Suspicion: Toward the end of the 19th century, as "homosexuality" became a medical and legal category, these "special friendships" faced increasing scrutiny and patholization.
• Muscular Christianity: To combat "unhealthy" or "soft" attachments, schools pivoted toward "Muscular Christianity," using aggressive team sports like rugby to redirect emotional energy into "manly" competition.

4. Literary Examples

• Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1857): Thomas Hughes depicts the protective, almost domestic bond between Tom and the frail Arthur as a moralizing force.
• The Hill (1905): Horace Annesley Vachell’s novel explicitly explores the "special" and jealous devotion between boys at Harrow, reflecting the transition into the era of institutional suspicion.

Would you like to examine the specific terminology used in school records to describe the punishment or suppression of these friendships?