Influence Of Peers During Childhood

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Influence of Peers The influence of peers during childhood can have a long-lasting effect on a person throughout his or her life. Describe at least three different ways in which teachers and/or parents can intervene to help improve a child's social skills and relationship with peers. (Keep in mind that it is the adult's responsibility to enhance a relationship with peers, rather than be the relationship.) Use the information from your text to complete a graphic organizer that provides a succinct summary of your suggestions for parents/educators. In addition, give a short explanation of why these suggestions will encourage positive peer relationships. You must use at least two scholarly sources other than the textbook and required readings to support your suggestions. You may download the Inspiration9 30-Day Trial or use an application of your own to create a graphic organizer. Be sure to upload all necessary links, images, and/or text onto a Word document. Instructions for downloading Inspiration9 and exporting to Word can be found in the online course. Criteria: Your creation must be one page using the graphic organizer of your choice. In addition, you must create a title page and reference page formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Paper For Above instruction

The influence of peers during childhood is profound and enduring, shaping social behaviors and interpersonal skills that extend into adulthood. Recognizing the critical role that adults—parents and teachers—play in fostering positive peer relationships, this paper explores three effective intervention strategies. These strategies aim to enhance a child's social skills and promote healthier interactions with peers, supported by scholarly research.

1. Promoting Social Skills through Structured Socialization Opportunities

One effective intervention is to provide children with structured socialization opportunities, such as group activities, team sports, and cooperative learning exercises. These environments facilitate the development of essential social skills like communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution (Hartup & Stevens, 1999). Teachers and parents can organize regular group activities that encourage positive interactions, helping children learn to navigate social complexities. By fostering consistent opportunities for interaction, adults can help children build confidence and social competence.

2. Implementing Social Skills Training Programs

Another strategy involves the implementation of targeted social skills training programs tailored to a child's specific needs. These programs often include role-playing, social stories, and modeling behaviors to teach appropriate peer interactions (Chorpita et al., 2011). Such interventions are particularly beneficial for children with social challenges, including those with developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). By actively teaching and practicing social skills, adults can significantly improve a child's ability to establish and maintain peer relationships.

3. Encouraging Empathy and Emotional Regulation

Finally, fostering empathy and emotional regulation is essential for positive peer interactions. Adults can teach children to recognize and manage their emotions and to understand others' feelings through explicit instruction and modeling (Denham et al., 2012). Activities that promote perspective-taking and emotional awareness help children develop deeper connections with peers, reducing conflicts and enhancing cooperative behavior. Encouraging empathy creates a foundation for meaningful and respectful relationships.

These three interventions—structured socialization, social skills training, and emotional development—are supported by scholarly research and have been shown to effectively promote positive peer relationships. When adults actively incorporate these strategies into daily interactions and educational settings, they create conducive environments for children to develop healthy social behaviors that last a lifetime.

References

• Chorpita, B. F., Daleiden, E. L., & Weisz, J. R. (2011). match- ing evidence-based treatments to children and adolescents in community settings. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 40(2), 174–191.
• Denham, S. A., Blair, C., DeMulder, E., Levitas, J., Sawyer, K., Auerbach, ife, M., & Brand, A. (2012). Preschool emotional competence: Pathway to social competence? Child Development, 73(5), 1484–1504.
• Hartup, W. W., & Stevens, N. (1999). Friendships and adaptation in the life course. Psychological Bulletin, 125(5), 661–687.