Peer Relationships
What role do peers play in a child’s social status?
The importance of peer partnerships in child advancement cannot be overstated. According to Shin et al., 2016, peer friendships can anticipate both favorable and pessimistic behavioral patterns. Children who have favorable peer connections are usually well-adapted and have healthy friendships with various other youngsters. Children understand how to operate collaboratively in groups and connect to others by engaging with adolescents their own age. Peer relationships also help to establish communication abilities, which are essential for social advancement. Peer interactions also inform children regarding appropriate and inappropriate behavioral patterns. Children who have a negative peer friendship, on the other hand, are more likely to have difficulties in these aspects (Shin et al., 2016). Popular youngsters are normally well appreciated by their colleagues. Because their social standing can be determined by who they relate with, they will probably pursue more favorable peer friendships (Lightfoot, 2018).
What factors influence with whom an adolescent make friends?
Childhood relationships are an important part of developing personal competency abilities in childhood development. Adolescents learn in middle childhood that mutual preferences offer a framework for relationships (Lightfoot, 2018). Relationships become more powerful, connected, and appreciative during the early adolescent years. At this stage, adolescents’ communication with their peers expands. The behavioral resemblance was revealed to be among the most important determinants of relationship stabilization and durability in research performed by Ellis and Zarbatany (Lightfoot, 2018). Adolescents who are abused, for instance, frequently band together and establish profound relationships. Due to the social standing attained by affiliation, popular adolescents seem to move toward their popular colleagues. Other common factors that influence whom adolescents make friends with include acknowledgment, gender, and sharing. During early adolescence, same-sex relationships are most prevalent. Many adolescents make friends of the opposite sex as they get older.
Did your peers play a role in your own development during your teen years?
During my teen years, peers did not influence my development. At this stage, I was engaged in various positive relationships, but they did not influence my development. This was mainly because of my personal differences and culture.
References
Kyoung Min Shin, Kyung Soon Park, Yun Mi Shin, & Sun-Mi Cho. (2016). Effects of early childhood peer relationships on adolescent mental health: A 6- to 8-Year follow-up study in South Korea. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4965647/
Lightfoot, C. (2018). The Development of Children (8th Edition). Macmillan Higher Education. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781464178894
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