The Effects Of Peers And Friends On Social Development

Discuss the effects of peers and friends on social development in children and adolescents Social development is defined as the â€Å"ways in which individuals’ social interactions and expectations change across their life span† (American Psychological Association, 2014). Social development can also be said to be a way â€Å"to understand the social behaviour of individuals; why people do what they do† (Psychology Press, 2014). The social development of children and adolescents can be influenced by parents, peers and siblings. It has been shown that children with good peer relations exhibit better social development than those who do not. Therefore, it may be that there are links between social development and peer and friends influences. The†¦show more content†¦By the time the child is at 3 to 4, they would rather play with other children their own age, known as peers, than on their own. As peers can be defined as a companion, the bond between siblings may also be a peer influence. They are commonly the first peer relation children experience. Approximately 80% of children have siblings, so it is a large proportion of children that will have their first peer being their sibling. Reactions from older siblings towards the child can vary; from tolerance to resentment. Relationships between older children and siblings can be hostile, as the younger child will be receiving more attention than their older sibling, who then may feel pushed out (Martin, Carlson Buskist, 2013). Studies by Dunn and Kendrick (as cited in Martin, Carlson Buskist, 2013) have also found that mothers are not as attentive or affectionate towards their older children when their new baby is born. Teti’s research showed that an older child can often become more troublesome due to feeling less secure (as cited in Martin, Carlson Buskist). Sibling rivalry can arise, which is jealousy and compet itiveness between older and younger children, but the degree of this rivalry can depend on several factors, for example, how secure the older or younger child feels with its parents. A study by Dunn and Kendrick suggested that an older siblings’ reaction to the younger child