Thesis on "School and Peers Influences on Development"

Thesis 4 pages (1188 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

School & Peers' influence on development

It's impossible to think of life without friends. A normal, pulsating individual capable of loving and being loved in return must have had at least one stable friendship or peer group during his or her lifetime. Whereas adults may have developed the maturity or grown bigger in their perspective of life to accept that friends may not always be around, children and teenagers may find the same situation extremely sad and agonizing. On the other hand, many parents are worried about the possible concerns that may arise from their children's attachment to their peers, especially deviant peer groups. Behavioral experts agree that friendships can do both harm and good in a child's social development. Many of their studies have outlined the developmental significance of friendships and the influence of peers on different aspects of socialization. This paper discusses a few of them and how these evidences can help parents formulate a plan to address concerns about their children's peer orientation and problematic peer relationships.

Friendships and peer acceptance during the early grade school years are thought to help in the development of social competence, self-esteem, and school adjustment (Bernt, 1996; Hartup, 1996; Ladd, 1990; in Schwartz et al., 2000). Interactions with friends can provide opportunities for children to develop social skills and self-regulatory capacities that are especially helpful to compensate for whatever deficits they bring into their peer groups, such as harsh family environments, negativity, or non-assertiveness (Price, 1996, in Schwartz et al., 2000, Schwartz et al., 2000). These mechanisms are perceived to be important in light of children who are at risk of being bullied, as they can help develop attributes and interactive styles that minimize maltreatment by other kids (Schwartz et al., 2000). Further, friends themselves may have a protective role in bullying as a child at risk is unlikely to be victimized if surrounded by supportive peers (Schwartz et al., 2000).

When children begin their transition into adolescence, peer influence becomes more pronounced as kids spend more unsupervised time with their friends (Fuligni, Barber, Eccles, & Clements, 2001). From 12 years until mid-adolescence, peer influence peaks (Brendt, 1979 in Fuligni et al., 2001), presumably because at this age, group acceptance and popularity can have a big impact in their self-image. Studies show that a teenager's social functioning can be severely affected by a weak sense of self, coupled with a low popularity rating in school (McElhaney, Antonishak, & Allen, 2008). Social dysfunction can manifest in externalizing factors such as aggression, hostility, and social withdrawal, all of which are costly in terms of future socio-emotional adjustment (McElhaney et al., 2008). When kids are socially withdrawn, this can be interpreted as disinterest or "aloofness," which then leads to disliking and peer rejection (Ladd, 2006). Peer rejection, in turn may lead to anxiety and distress (Ladd, 2006). These observations show that the socialization process in adolescence can be a cyclic, complex interplay of temperamental attributes, sense of self, and peer acceptance/rejection.

Friendships during the volatile teenage years can have a moderating effect on the risk factors outlined above. In particular, teens who perceive themselves as socially confident because of healthy interactions with their peers can have good social functioning outcomes regardless of their popularity rating in school (McElhaney et al., 2008). Friendships outside school such as in church or at work can also contribute to positive social outcomes as they may compensate for any social insecurity felt in school (McElhaney et al., 2008). Hence, popularity in school or the lack thereof is not the sole predictor of social… READ MORE

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