How do our peers affect our growth and development?

Social DevelopmentSocial Development

Judith Rich Harris (an American psychologist) claims that children who grow up in a disciplined household are just as likely to grow as undisciplined tearaways as those raised in chaotic homes, if they mix with unruly classmates at an early age.

Influences such as; popular culture, friends and gangs have a greater influence over children than family life.

In the long run it is what happens to children outside of the parenting home that makes them turn out the way they do.

Harris states in her book ‘The Nurture Harris states in her book ‘The Nurture Assumption “it is a cultural myth that Assumption “it is a cultural myth that parenting styles influences how children parenting styles influences how children turn out.”turn out.”

Larson et al says that “the amount of time Larson et al says that “the amount of time spent with peers increases during spent with peers increases during adolescence accounting for around 29% adolescence accounting for around 29% of high school students time”.of high school students time”.

Harter 1998 reported that peer Harter 1998 reported that peer acceptance is positively associated with acceptance is positively associated with self-esteem and Newcomb et al indicated self-esteem and Newcomb et al indicated that peer experience prior to adolescence that peer experience prior to adolescence affected self-esteem in young adulthood.affected self-esteem in young adulthood.

Whether they hang out with nerds, jocks, Whether they hang out with nerds, jocks, delinquents, or crowds in-between, young delinquents, or crowds in-between, young people need to belong to a distinct group. people need to belong to a distinct group. Children and teens learn how to behave in Children and teens learn how to behave in society from their peers. They do what society from their peers. They do what their peers do and wear what their peers their peers do and wear what their peers wear.wear.

ReferencesReferences

http://home.att.net/~xchar/tna/dekker.htmhttp://home.att.net/~xchar/tna/dekker.htm http://www.open2.net/healthliving/family_childdevelopment/menu_child_development.htmlhttp://www.open2.net/healthliving/family_childdevelopment/menu_child_development.html