Role of Peers in Children Development

CHILDis a human being between the

stages of birth and puberty.

refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority.

CHILD DEVELOPMENTrefers to

the biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the end of adolescence.

PEER

refers to the people who are equal in such respects as age, education or social class, abilities, qualifications, age, background,  and social status etc.

Role of Peers in Children Development

ROLE OF PEERS IN CHILDREN DEVELOPMENTThey provide an arena for

learning and practicing a variety of social skills, including negotiation, persuasion, cooperation, compromise, emotional control, and conflict resolution.

Often provide much-needed social and emotional support.

ROLE OF PEERS IN CHILDREN DEVELOPMENTThey serve as socialization agents that

help to mold children’s behaviors and beliefs.

They define options for leisure time.They offer new ideas and perspectives.They serve as role models and provide

standards for acceptable behavior, showing what is possible, what is admirable, what is cool.

ROLE OF PEERS IN CHILDREN DEVELOPMENTThey serve as socialization

agents that help to mold children’s behaviors and beliefs.

They reinforce one another for acting in ways deemed appropriate for their age, gender, or ethnic group.

ROLE OF PEERS IN CHILDREN DEVELOPMENTAnd they sanction one another

for stepping beyond acceptable bounds, perhaps through ridicule, gossip, or ostracism. 

THE REAL SCOOP ON PEER PRESSUREA common misconception is that peer

pressure is invariably a bad thing. In fact, it’s a mixed bag.

Peer pressure (or social pressure) is influence a peer group, observers, or an individual exerts that encourages others to change their attitudes, values, or behaviors to conform to those of the influencing group or individual.

THE REAL SCOOP ON PEER PRESSUREMany peers encourage such

desirable qualities as truthfulness, fairness, cooperation, and abstinence from drugs and alcohol.

Others, however, encourage aggression, criminal activity, and other antisocial behaviors

Although peer pressure is certainly a factor affecting development, its overall influence on children’s behaviors has probably been overrated.

Most children acquire a strong set of values and behavioral standards from their families, and they do not necessarily abandon these values and standards in the company of peers.

Furthermore, they tend to choose friends who are similar to themselves in motives, styles of behavior, academic achievement, and leisure-time activities

Curiously, much of the pressure to conform to others’ standards and expectations comes from within rather than from outside. In particular, most children engage in self-socialization - putting pressure on themselves to adopt the behaviors they think others will find acceptable.

As teachers, we must keep in mind that most students desperately want to look good in the eyes of their peers. We can help them maintain a good public image in a variety of ways. For instance, we can help them acquire the skills they need public speaking techniques, personal hygiene, and so on to present themselves in a favorable light. We can assign small-group projects in which every student has a unique talent to contribute. And when valued classmates ridicule academic achievement, we can allow students to demonstrate their accomplishments to us privately through written assignments or one-on-one conversations instead of in front of their classmates.

Thank you! Mariel Tiquio