Adolescent Development - peers
Adolescents, for the most part, exist in a highly social environment. Practically everything an adolescent does is somehow related to school. Classes, extracurricular activities such as clubs or sports teams or going to a party all tend to involve other adolescents from school. These adolescents, who are of about the same age or maturity level are referred to as peers. Peer groups serve many functions for an adolescent. Peers can provide entertainment in the form of fun and socializing. Acceptance by a group helps to bolster self-esteem and confidence. A particular role or responsibility in a group, club or sports team can help shape adolescents identity and self-image. One of the most important functions of peer groups is to provide information and comparison. An adolescent can learn a tremendous amount about the world outside the family. "From the peer group, adolescents receive feedback about their
They learn the complexities of relationships such as how to support friends while being supported, to observe others to smoothly enter existing conversations and to resolve disagreements. Peer groups are essential to any person's development no matter what those groups are or how accepted one is by those groups. Adolescents who gain self-confidence and learn to navigate complex social structures by interacting with peers take these skills into adulthood and apply the knowledge to the working world or the family. Adolescents learn to assert themselves while accepting others, they have influence over each other. There is much to be learned from friends with different perspectives. Information in the form of exchange of knowledge is also part of this function. Relationships during adolescence do not only influence social behavior, but also romantic relationships that will occur later in life. Peer relationships give an adolescent the foundation for all future ones. 196) This function not only serves as a measure for abilities, but for self-worth and self-confidence as well. A sense of fairness and justice is created from these relationships. Adolescents learn whether what they do is better than, as good as, or worse than what other adolescents do. Even negative experiences can teach the astute adolescent about themselves and others.
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