PEERSAn in depth study as it relates to socialization.

By Alex A, Cheyenne H, and Laura E.

Overview: What is Socialization?• Socialization is a process where people learn

behaviors, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and values appropriate for members in their individual society/culture.

• There are many socialization agents, such as school, peers, media/technology, etc.

• Institutions, such as government agencies, service industries, and hospitals help socialization in the household.

• Although peers aren’t very influential at a young age, it is still a huge agent in a child’s socialization

Overview: What is a “Peer”?

• Children in the neighborhood, at the park, or at school can become friends and be considered peers.

• Peers can be controlled by parents by creating play dates

• Children can set up their own peer groups by playing with them at school or in the neighborhood

Development of Friendships

• Early Childhood– Most children under age 4 are in their first stage, Momentary Playmateship. Unable to

consider viewpoints of other people and only think about them selves in friendships.• Early Middle Childhood

– One Way Assistance Stage, between age 4-9, children can distinguish the difference between their own perspectives and those of others. Friendship is based on whether or not someone wanted to do what you wanted them to.

• Middle Childhood– Two Way/Fair-Weather Cooperation stage, children between 6-12, acknowledge that

friendship involves give and take. At this age, children emphasize similarities between friends.

• Middle Childhood to Adolescence– Intimate, Mutually Shared Relationship-stage. Children between 9-15 can view

friendship as an entity. A relationship that incorporates more than just doing things for each other. Involves jealousy.

• Adolescence to Adulthood– Autonomous Interdependent Friendship, Stage. At about 12 years old, children are

capable of respecting their friends need for both dependency and autonomy.

Overview: How do Peer groups begin?

• Most children don’t play in groups at first.• Children often play side-by-side, mimicking and

acknowledging other peers around them.• Children influence actions during play, but stay in their

own bubble. • Eventually the children begin to interact, forming

groups of twos or three that involve activities, interests, norms, rules, etc.

• Most peers prefer to hang out with those of their gender.

Influences of Peer Socialization: Behavior

• Behavior Contagion: behavior that is exhibited by one person, then copied by others.

• A child begins screaming for joy over something. A few seconds later, the whole class is screaming with them as well.

• Peers establish activities, interests, norms, rules, expressions, traditions, gestures, and many more action.

Influences of Peer Socialization: Peers teaching Pretend

• Most adults don’t teach children how to play pretend.

• Children learn from each other how to set roles for their imaginary characters.

• They agree with each other's rules and set out to accomplish their imaginary-play-time goals, which is why it can be hard for adults to understand what is going on.

Influences of Peer Socialization: Someone to lean on

• Taboo topics such as sex, religious beliefs, adulthood and other topics can be shunned in the household

• Kids/Teens can learn about these topics from their friends—whether parents like it or not.

• Peers help create new concerns, not bound to adult norms.

• Friends offer sympathy and advice on how to handle issues.

Influences of Peer Socialization: Understanding Generations through Peers

• Peers help place us in history• Growing up with peers of our age group, we

can look back at the next generation and categorize the generation we feel we fit in.

Method of Peer Socialization

• Peer group’s function is to teach how to give and take, equally.

• Younger peer groups modify behavior with the use of rewards and punishments– “Let me ride the bicycle or else you can’t come

over anymore!”• Learning to get along with peers is a lot

difference than getting along with family members, it’s a choice with peers.

Method of Peer Socialization:Rejection and Approval

• Children with poor socialization skills are less likely to form healthy bonds as adults, and more likely to experience rejection from peers.

• Having acceptable characteristics and acting in appropriate manner will provide rewards throughout it’s peers.

• Children come to look at them selves from the point of view of it’s peers.

• Peer groups rewards sociability and rejects deviations. • Victimization and bullying is possible

Peer Topic: Bullying• An extreme example of social hierarchies in peer

groups• An aggressive behavior intended to cause harm

or distress.• Occurs frequently in an uncontrolled relationship

of power and strength• Bullying occurs in many forms• Middle school is when bullying is most common. • Almost all students are affected by bullying

directly or indirectly.

Bullying: Physically

• Physical bullying occurs often in school, though it can occur from school and after school.

• More likely to occur in males, but still seen in females as well.

• Victims of physical bullying are usually physically and socially weak.

Affects of Physical Abuse

• Many negative affects such as fighting, sexual harassment, stealing--maybe even death.

• Forms of physically bullying involve– Hitting– Pushing– Tripping– Slapping– Spitting– Stealing/destroying personal belongings.

Bullying: Verbally

• Bullying goes beyond physical• Verbal bullying can be just as harmful, but in

different ways, as physically bullying. • The goal of verbal bullying is to make the

other person look weak. • More common bullying technique for females

but very common for males.

Affects of Verbal Abuse

• Can effect one’s self image in psychological and emotional ways.

• Leads to low self esteem, depression, bad eating habits, and many other problems.

• Can cause a student to fail school due to fear.• Substance abuse, or in very extreme cases,

death!

Bullying: Cyber Bullying

• When a child or teen is harassed, embarrassed, threatened, or tormented via digital technology.

• Cell phone use and internet is most common.• Leaving mean messages on Facebook,

uploading embarrassing photos, spreading gossip, exposing someone etc…

Amanda Todd: Victim of Bullying• Amanda used an online video

chat service where she met a man and decided to expose her self.

• The man blackmailed Amanda and threatened to show all her friends and family her pictures.

• Amanda eventually moved schools, but the bully found her via Facebook and showed all her friends the nude pictures.

• Amanda was bullied verbally, physically, and on the internet.

• She eventually committed suicide by hanging her self.

Amanda’s Mother Speaks Out

• Interview With Amanda's Mother. Click Here.

2013 Bullying Statistics

• 160,000 students don’t attend school, everyday, from fear of being bullied.

• 8% of students miss class because of bullies.• Every 7 minutes a child is bullied on the

playground.• 43% of harassment happens in the bathroom.• About 35% of kids have been threatened online.• A poll taken of teens between 12-17 said they

believed violence increased at their school.

Signs of Bullying

• Arriving home with bruises or cuts• Often “losing” belongings at school• Skipping school or certain classes• Withdrawn from everyone else• Mood swings• Trying to take weapons to school• Talking about violence of suicide

Put a Stop to Bullying

Talk about bullyingParents, school staff, adults, and friends have a role to prevent bullying. Encourage others to model kind and respectful attitude

Prevent Bullying At SchoolBullying threatens students physically and emotionally. Stop it before it starts

Work With CommunityThink of strategies with the community. Help identify and support those who are bullied.

Conclusion• Peer groups enable children to become independent, away from

adults.• As children get older, peers become more important as social

support• Peers provide validation, encouragement, opportunities for

comparison, enable self-disclosure, and help figure out one’s identity.

• Issues such as bullying become more noticeable between beers around middle school and above

• Bullying has become a huge issue in and out of school, but there are ways to prevent and stop them

• Thanks to Peers, Socialization is established through the friendships created throughout ones lives. Peers effect the way we act with strangers, and they teach us what norms are acceptable.

Statistics provided by• http://www.martialartsforpeace.com/pages/

bullyingstatistics.html• http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/

bullying-and-suicide.html• http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov• http://

www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.orgwww.pacerteensagainstbullying.org