Page 126 - Understanding Psychology

Figure 4.9 Peer Groups
As individuals progress from childhood to adolescence, peers become very important. Why are adolescents so heavily influenced by peers?
Peer groups, then, do not pose a threat to parental author- ity. Even though parents spend less time with their adolescent children as the latter mature, their influence is still strong. Adolescents of both sexes tend to choose friends with values close to those of their parents. As a result, these peer groups are of immense help to the adolescent in making the transi- tion from dependent child to independent adult. Thus, gener- ational conflict is not nearly so pronounced as some researchers would have us believe.
On the other hand, psychol- ogist Judith Rich Harris claims that peer groups, not parents, teach children how to behave in the world (Harris, 1998). So, the only influence parents are able to have over their children is by
supplying the environment in which they meet peers. She argues that par- ents should live in a good neighborhood so their children associate with positive peers. Many psychologists passionately criticize Harris’s theory. Critics claim that there is a very strong relationship between parenting styles and the social development of children and that the style is more important than the neighborhood.
DIFFICULTIES DURING ADOLESCENCE
As we have seen in this chapter, adolescence is a time of transition. There are many developmental tasks to be mastered, but adolescence is not distinct from other periods of life in this respect. As Erikson (1968) pointed out, every stage of life brings with it unique challenges that are specific to that stage, whether it is old age, early childhood, or adolescence.
Given the great array of profound changes the adolescent must cope with involving his or her mind, body, emotions, and social relationships, it is natural and normal that most adolescents should experience some temporary psychological difficulties. The great majority, however, adjusts fairly quickly. Although some studies show that mental illness and suicide are relatively rare among adolescents, the rates of both have been increas- ing over the past several decades. The occurrence of teenage suicide has nearly tripled over the past 50 years, and this figure may be underesti- mated because medical personnel sometimes label a death as an accident to protect the victim’s family.
PSYCHOLOGY
Student Web Activity
Visit the Understanding Psychology Web site at psychology.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 4— Student Web Activities for
an activity about adolescent development.
112 Chapter 4 / Adolescence