Degree of Peer and Parent Influence in Adolescence - Term Paper Example

? Degree of Peer and Parent Influence in Adolescence Lecturer: Degree of peer and parent influence in adolescence Introduction The degree of peer and parental influences in adolescence determine the development of a child. Parents play vital roles in the growth of the adolescent in the community. Many scholars have attempted to reveal the way parenting practices or styles contributes to significant effects on the development of the child including their physical, social or emotional behaviors. The parental styles employed during adolescent stage of the child and the relation that parents have towards their children can significantly determine the development behaviors of the child. The problem is that many children when they have reached adolescent stage face varied problems in their developmental stage; thus, the rate of juvenile arrests increases at this stage. The research study reports that the rate of deviant behaviors, moral declines and crimes issues has tremendously increased in the American society because of poor parental relationships with the adolescents. Many parents tend to be busy with their work; hence, they do not have time in shaping the behaviors of their children. Therefore, studying the peer influential degree and the parental influences in adolescent are essential because it raises awareness in the society on the way parents should help the adolescence to cope up in the society. This is because adolescent is a dangerous stage that may contribute to varied consequences in case parents does not take it into considerations. Although peer influential contributes to a larger extent of personality development of adolescence, parental influence is more significant than the peer groups in providing emotional support. Peer and Parental influence Both the peers and parental influences towards the development of the child during the adolescent stage play significant roles in one way or another. The degree at which peer remains influential to their peers can significantly determine the way teenagers grow up in the society. The adolescents spend most of their time with friends or peers; thus the degree to which the peer can influence the developmental behaviors of the child is high than of the parents. Many parents in the current American society spend most of their time in various activities; thus, the peers are the ones who spend more time with their fellows. The degree at which most parents remain influential to the adolescents has been a debating issue in the contemporary society. Although, many scholars question the issue of peer influential at the degree to which parents remain influential, but the influences depend of the way parents play their roles among the peers. Peer group can help the child during the adolescent stage to explore many things in the society and learn to appreciate themselves, but the level of the child growing up with moral behaviors is low. This is because the adolescent is a dangerous stage and in most cases, the peers can influence the behavior of the child in a negative way rather than positive ways; thus, the degree of parental influence at this stage is more significant than the degree of peer influence. Peers play the larger extent in shaping the personality development or emotional behaviors of adolescence than parents do. This is because of the changing environment in the contemporary American society whereby parents are always away struggling to work in order to make a better living for their children; thus, they lack enough time with their parents. The research indicates that peer influence play larger degree of shaping the behaviors of adolescent (Garifiesld, 2007). This has created varied consequences in the contemporary society including deviant behaviors of all sorts including deteriorating moral behaviors, increased drug abuse, sexual behaviors and crime related issues. Thus, the numbers of juvenile cases in America are growing to the extent at which the many people have started questioning the role parents play in shaping the moral behaviors and personality development of their children. For instance, when comparing the current and the traditional society, the family members played significant roles in shaping the behaviors of adolescences. For instance, the aunts and uncles provided education programs to the girls and boys respectively; hence, cases of deviant behaviors among the teenagers were rare. However, due to globalization associated by increased technology advancement across the globe especially in the American society, the parental influences towards their children have considerably changed. The parental influence degree on adolescents is of significant aspect during the maturity period of the adolescent because of psychological support from parents. It is clear that adolescence is a stage whereby considerable differentiation and physical body changes takes place; thus emotional support from parents is of considerable significant. Dwyer, Fredstrom, Rubin, Booth-LaForce, Rose-Krasnor and Burgess (2010) argue that social information processing and friendship quality among the peers contributes to the developmental behaviors of the adolescence. The authors further argue that those peers who rely on social information from their parents can be able to cope up effectively in the adolescent stage. Although, during the adolescent stage, many adolescents spend most of their time with the peers, parents need to be close with them. The physical and emotional dependence towards their parents starts decreasing as they continue to be closer to their peers. Their behavior development such as personality and self esteem reaches at the tip where it becomes hard to handle issues. Therefore, guidance and counseling from parents can be of immense significant because it will enable them to develop stable personality and adopt with the situation. Garfield (2007) argues that parents are the most important in the life of their children, and they have the greatest influence on the development of their children especially in personality development. Parents play significant roles in the life of children starting when they are kids, teenagers until they become mature to make decisions of their own. Although, peer influential, which can be revealed in the group socialization theory, contributes to significant roles of shaping personality development of children, parental influential is significant. This is because parents are the primary care providers of children and they are the ones who understand the behaviors of their children. Sometimes, children adolescents behave differently when they are outside their homes, and this becomes difficult for parents to determine their behaviors. Therefore, monitoring can be of significant value because it can enable parents to determine things that their children do while out of their homes. Many adolescents consider information feedbacks from their peers more than their parents (Garfield, 2007). Thus, parents should choose effective parenting styles that will enable them to achieve the demanding needs of their adolescents in the society. Parenting Styles and their Effects Effective parenting styles are crucial in shaping the way the adolescents can cope up in the environment; thus developing effective behaviors in the society. There are varied theories of parental influence towards the development of the child in the society. One of them is the parental responsiveness, and this takes into consideration the capability of the adolescent to react to parental needs in a supple way. Parenting responsiveness is crucial because it enables parents to respond to the needs of their children. This is significant because during the adolescent stage, children tend to be demanding and they have different needs. Therefore, responsive parents will listen and act upon their demanding needs. This style yield a positive result, but it varies from one family to another. Authoritative parenting is another style whereby the parent may be both demanding and responsiveness. Authoritative parenting style is viewed as infective parenting style during the adolescent stage of the child. The research analysis carried out among the parenting styles, and the personality development styles revealed that authoritative styles does not help in shaping the behaviors of the child (Kaufman and Chevan, 2011). They revealed that authoritative style tends to be timid, less socially reliant and increases self dependent as the child grows up. This style is crucial but putting more pressure on the child may lead to other negative consequences and it is seen as undermining the autonomy of the child. This style is highly beneficial in society whereby there are high crime rates and other deviant issues. Putting pressure on adolescents may demoralize their behaviors and sometimes they can view their parents as an obstacle in the life. Some of them may detach themselves from their parents, but this does not mean that parents should leave them to do what they feel like. Therefore, understanding the way of dealing with the adolescent is crucial. Other styles involve parental demandingness and parental permissiveness. Parental demandingness is whereby the parents set rules or standards that govern or direct the child in his or her daily undertakings. This style is essential because it enables the child to develop effective personality traits and he, or she can withstand some of the negative peer influences. However, parental permissiveness is a style whereby there is no demandingness and responsiveness from parents. In this style, parents seem not to care what their children do, and this can create a significant impact in the development of the child. This style is undesirable because it contributes to poor performance levels of the child and even undesirable moral behaviors in the society. This is because children tend to grow up with poor leadership skills, lack of maturity and they can follow destructive peer influence. Recommendations/ Solutions It is recommendable that parents should create intimate relationships with their children in order to enable them develop effective personality development. The extent at which parents create solid relationships with their children matters a lot in the daily life of a child. This is because parents can be able to understand the needs of their children; thus helping them to cope up in the society. Providing guidance and counseling to the adolescence are imperative. This is because guidance and counseling is essential because it helps teenagers to develop positive and desirable behaviors in the society. It will also enable the child to withstand unfavorable behaviors from the fellow friends. Another solution is employing effective parenting style that can enable the child to develop significant moral behaviors. Parents should employ a better parenting style of bringing up the child in the society. Parenting styles differ from one family environment to another. Thus, beyond the parenting styles, modeling of parental actions in the family is crucial and the parental relationship is one way of influencing adolescent personality development. Conclusion Although peer influential contributes to a larger extent of personality development of adolescence, parental influence is more significant than the peer groups in providing emotional support. Studying the peer influential degree and the parental influences in adolescent are essential because it raises awareness in the society. Peer group influences the personality development of adolescents more than parents do in the current American society. This is because parents are always busy with their work; thus, they lack enough time to guide their children. Globalization has contributed to moral decline of the teenagers; hence, parents should monitor the behaviors of their children. Parental influences play a significant role in the personality development of the child. Thus, employing effective parenting styles, and providing guidance and counseling to adolescent will contribute to the better personality development behaviors of adolescents. References Garfield, B. (2007). Personality development of the adolescent: Peer group versus parents. South African Journal of Education, 27, 2,177-190. Dwyer, K., Fredstrom, B., Rubin, K., Booth-LaForce, C., Rose-Krasnor, L., & Burgess, K. (January 01, 2010). Attachment, social information processing, and friendship quality of early adolescent girls and boys. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 27, 1, 91-116. Kaufman, R. R., & Chevan, J. (January 01, 2011). The gender gap in peer-reviewed publications by physical therapy faculty members: A productivity puzzle. Physical Therapy, 91, 1, 122-131. Read More