Development
Child Development Question and Answer
The fourth Standard of Practice speaks to the need for members of the Ontario College of Teachers to create collaborative and safe learning communities. The exchange below is an example of communication between myself and another teacher. A willingness to take the time to engage an attempt to help other professionals in our field is one way to create a collaborative community of practitioners.
Colleague's Question:
- One of the sites I was reading says, “Children who feel good about themselves are more able to resist negative peer pressure and make better choices for themselves.” Parents do everything in their power to ensure that their child is confident and resists peer pressure, but children still feel insure (not every child, but most). Is this feeling of insecurity, wanting to fit in, following the crowd etc. simply part of child development (every child will go through it) or can parents really make a difference? I remember that I got a lot of talks from my parents about all this but still didn’t help with how I felt.
My Answer:
I was quite interested in your question about the ability for parents to make a difference in their child’s feelings of insecurity and willingness to give into peer pressure in adolescence. I’m a new father, so I thought that this question would be good for me to research since I can get credit for this activity as well as maybe help out my son in the future!
It certainly seems that every kid, regardless of their relationship with their family, becomes more insecure and susceptible to peer pressure during adolescence. This is supported by Erikson’s classic psychosocial development stages theory which predicts that Junior division students feel the need to accomplish tasks to gain the approval of their peer group. Further, during adolescence the desire to fit in to a society and establish one’s role and identity becomes a driving concern. This can lead to experimentation with different lifestyles, and potentially, to rebellion (McLeod, 2013).
So, the question is: what can be done to help children to resist negative influences and remain confident and empowered during their adolescent years? A study was released this month that confirms that parent-child closeness and parental affection do, in fact, correlate with increased adolescent self-worth (McAdams et. al, 2017). Other studies shed further light on the correlation between parent-child relationships and peer pressure. A study in China found that maternal warmth and minimized psychological control mitigated adolescent susceptibility to peer pressure (Chan & Chan, 2011). Another study supporting warm and supportive parenting found that while consistent discipline helped to moderate peer influence with respect to alcohol use in females, it made adolescent males more likely to follow their peers (Marshal & Chassin, 2000). Further warning against over-strict discipline, Curtner-Smith and MacKinnon-Lewis note that authoritarian parenting leads to increased susceptibility to antisocial peer pressure while reinforcing the value of fathers being present and providing appropriate supervision during their adolescent sons’ development (Curtner-Smith & MacKinnon-Lewis, 1994).
Perhaps more important to us as educators is the role that teachers can play in increasing our students’ sense of confidence and self-worth. Teachers play a unique role in adolescent’s transition from youth to adulthood. Erikson suggests that teachers should act as ‘sanctioners’ of our students’ capabilities (Erikson, 1968). This means actively seeking out and identifying what they do well. This extends past the typical academic or athletic skills to include soft skills such as being a good friend or listener. Erikson suggests that positive evaluation from teachers helps students to confirm their industry and become aware of potential adult roles they might choose for themselves. (Hamman & Hendricks, 2005). Furthermore, teachers should avoid overly negative or critical judgments of adolescents because they are particularly vulnerable at the identity-seeking stage to internalizing these judgments. Another thing that Erikson suggests that teachers do is to create an environment that supports identity growth (Erikson, 1968). To do this, teachers should support students as they struggle with issues of fitting in and forming cliques and groups in an environment of tolerance and acceptance (Hammond &Hendricks, 2005). Teachers should also offer opportunities for students to ‘try on’ roles by offering authentic learning opportunities rather than just memorizing facts.
Even though it may seem like our words fall on deaf ears and that the power of peer pressure on adolescents is insurmountable, that is not often the case. Most studies support the value of positive parent and teacher involvement in helping children to resist negative peer pressure. A key point to note is that authoritarian discipline and judgments serve to push students towards their peers for affirmation and validation. Supportive, warm relationships that focus on helping kids to find their own way through their adolescent years help to build trust between adolescents and the adults in their lives and reduce the need for children to seek affirmation from peers.
It certainly seems that every kid, regardless of their relationship with their family, becomes more insecure and susceptible to peer pressure during adolescence. This is supported by Erikson’s classic psychosocial development stages theory which predicts that Junior division students feel the need to accomplish tasks to gain the approval of their peer group. Further, during adolescence the desire to fit in to a society and establish one’s role and identity becomes a driving concern. This can lead to experimentation with different lifestyles, and potentially, to rebellion (McLeod, 2013).
So, the question is: what can be done to help children to resist negative influences and remain confident and empowered during their adolescent years? A study was released this month that confirms that parent-child closeness and parental affection do, in fact, correlate with increased adolescent self-worth (McAdams et. al, 2017). Other studies shed further light on the correlation between parent-child relationships and peer pressure. A study in China found that maternal warmth and minimized psychological control mitigated adolescent susceptibility to peer pressure (Chan & Chan, 2011). Another study supporting warm and supportive parenting found that while consistent discipline helped to moderate peer influence with respect to alcohol use in females, it made adolescent males more likely to follow their peers (Marshal & Chassin, 2000). Further warning against over-strict discipline, Curtner-Smith and MacKinnon-Lewis note that authoritarian parenting leads to increased susceptibility to antisocial peer pressure while reinforcing the value of fathers being present and providing appropriate supervision during their adolescent sons’ development (Curtner-Smith & MacKinnon-Lewis, 1994).
Perhaps more important to us as educators is the role that teachers can play in increasing our students’ sense of confidence and self-worth. Teachers play a unique role in adolescent’s transition from youth to adulthood. Erikson suggests that teachers should act as ‘sanctioners’ of our students’ capabilities (Erikson, 1968). This means actively seeking out and identifying what they do well. This extends past the typical academic or athletic skills to include soft skills such as being a good friend or listener. Erikson suggests that positive evaluation from teachers helps students to confirm their industry and become aware of potential adult roles they might choose for themselves. (Hamman & Hendricks, 2005). Furthermore, teachers should avoid overly negative or critical judgments of adolescents because they are particularly vulnerable at the identity-seeking stage to internalizing these judgments. Another thing that Erikson suggests that teachers do is to create an environment that supports identity growth (Erikson, 1968). To do this, teachers should support students as they struggle with issues of fitting in and forming cliques and groups in an environment of tolerance and acceptance (Hammond &Hendricks, 2005). Teachers should also offer opportunities for students to ‘try on’ roles by offering authentic learning opportunities rather than just memorizing facts.
Even though it may seem like our words fall on deaf ears and that the power of peer pressure on adolescents is insurmountable, that is not often the case. Most studies support the value of positive parent and teacher involvement in helping children to resist negative peer pressure. A key point to note is that authoritarian discipline and judgments serve to push students towards their peers for affirmation and validation. Supportive, warm relationships that focus on helping kids to find their own way through their adolescent years help to build trust between adolescents and the adults in their lives and reduce the need for children to seek affirmation from peers.
References:
Chan, S.M., & Chan, K.W. (2011). Adolescents’ susceptibility to peer pressure: relations to parent-adolescent relationship and adolescent’s emotional autonomy from parents. Youth & Society, 45 (2), 286-302.
Curtner-Smith, M.E., & MacKinnon-Lewis, C.E. (1994). Family process effects on adolescent males’ susceptibility to antisocial peer pressure. Family Relations, 43(4), 462-468.
Erikson, E.H. (1968). Identity: Youth in crisis. New York: W.W. Norton.
Hamman, D., & Hendricks, B.C. (2005). The role of generations in identity formation: Erickson speaks to teachers of adolescents. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues, and Ideas, 79(2), 72-75.
Marshal, M.P., & Chassin, L. (2000). Peer influence on adolescent alcohol use: the moderating role of parental support and discipline. Applied Developmental Science, 4(2), 80-88.
McAdams T, Rijsdijk F, Eley T, et al. (2017). Associations between the parent-child relationship and adolescent self-worth: a genetically informed study of twin parents and their adolescent children. Journal Of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 58(1), 46-54.
McLeod, S. A. (2013). Erik Erikson. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html
Chan, S.M., & Chan, K.W. (2011). Adolescents’ susceptibility to peer pressure: relations to parent-adolescent relationship and adolescent’s emotional autonomy from parents. Youth & Society, 45 (2), 286-302.
Curtner-Smith, M.E., & MacKinnon-Lewis, C.E. (1994). Family process effects on adolescent males’ susceptibility to antisocial peer pressure. Family Relations, 43(4), 462-468.
Erikson, E.H. (1968). Identity: Youth in crisis. New York: W.W. Norton.
Hamman, D., & Hendricks, B.C. (2005). The role of generations in identity formation: Erickson speaks to teachers of adolescents. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues, and Ideas, 79(2), 72-75.
Marshal, M.P., & Chassin, L. (2000). Peer influence on adolescent alcohol use: the moderating role of parental support and discipline. Applied Developmental Science, 4(2), 80-88.
McAdams T, Rijsdijk F, Eley T, et al. (2017). Associations between the parent-child relationship and adolescent self-worth: a genetically informed study of twin parents and their adolescent children. Journal Of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 58(1), 46-54.
McLeod, S. A. (2013). Erik Erikson. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html