Parental And Peer Influence - Cornelia Smith Professor Rose ✓ Solved

Parental and Peer Influence Cornelia Smith Professor Rose B

A child's growth from conception to adulthood comes through various challenges that require a tremendous influence to sustain them to become responsible adults. The influence felt by a child as they grow up dictates a lot of their life. There are some stages during which a child goes through before they get to adulthood that require proper guidance. Both parental and peer influence may have a positive impact on the child as well as negative influence. Other than the two, there are other sets of influence that affect a child's growth into adulthood.

Parental influence starts from the mother's care and behavior toward her child. Children learn a lot from those who raise them; hence it is up to the parent to ensure their influence is most beneficial. In modern societies, parents tend to avoid a lot of responsibilities by letting their children be raised and guided by teachers. Education is an essential part of everyone's life but cannot be compared to the impact parental influence has on the child. It is noted that a child of a thief is a thief due to the influence they attain in their growth.

Throughout a child's development, they are influenced by many people in their lives. The behavior of a child often resembles that of the closest person to them. According to Balsa (2016), "the influence of parents is, however, stronger in outcomes less likely to be observable and penalized by peers." Parents form an essential part of a person's life and character. In various studies, a clear distinction can be identified between children raised solely by their parents and those who are orphaned or abandoned.

In this scenario, parents represent not only the birth parents but also guardians or adoptive parents. Abusive parents can also negatively influence a child. A child eventually turns out to be a reflection of the parents' upbringing. Children tend to bond quickly with people; thus, being influenced is part of their growth into adulthood. The influence of peers significantly determines their morals, ethics, character, and goodwill.

Teenagers whose development is negatively affected may find themselves engaging in illegal activities leading to crime. Many children become involved in delinquency, ending up in juvenile detention, thereby ruining their lives. The individual impact is also significant, as everyone possesses their own mind and intelligence. Peers constitute another crucial aspect of the various influences children experience throughout their lives as they transition into adulthood.

The internet and other technological devices have significantly increased peer influence on developing children over the past decade. In every country and state worldwide, access to the internet has become standard in human interaction. Teenagers currently interact with their peers ten times more than fifty years ago. This constant development and utilization of technology have transformed the world into a global village.

Today, individuals can be recruited into terrorist groups and cults online without any physical presence. Many illegal groups focus on targeting young people in society. The prevalence of technology has constrained the impact parents have on their children. Nowadays, if a teenager faces distress over a problem, they may prefer to text a friend rather than consult their mother, who is just a word away. This shift increases children's inclination towards peer influence over parental guidance.

Peer influence often takes a detrimental form, as each teenager desires to benefit from the other. An example of peer influence can occur when a teen is introduced to a drug trade, lured in by promises of substantial financial gain, much of which they rarely experience at home. This peer pressure for financial independence, coupled with escaping family constraints, can lead adolescents to abandon their innocence and engage in criminal activity.

The internet also serves as a public platform, presenting information that can influence individuals and make them targets for those with malicious intent (Soh & Ang, 2017). During adolescence, when transitioning into adulthood, decisions regarding life prospects often hinge on the closest influences, shaping one's future. While some parental influences can positively guide teenagers towards right actions, steering them away from crime, others may not.

In conclusion, both parental and peer influences play pivotal roles in a child's development. Parents carry the responsibility of imparting values and guidance essential for helping their children avoid negative influences, while peers serve as a significant force that can both positively and negatively impact their choices. Thus, it is crucial to understand the dynamics of these influences to foster healthier developmental environments for children.

References

• Balsa, A. (2018). Peer effects vs. parental influence in the development of capabilities in adolescence.
• Soh, K., & Ang, R. (2017). Parents vs peers’ influence on teenagers’ Internet addiction and risky online activities. Telematics and Informatics.
• Smith, C. (2020). The Impact of Parenting Styles on Adolescents' Outcomes. Journal of Family Psychology, 34(2), 258-270.
• Jones, M. A. (2019). Peer Relationships and Emotional Health in Adolescence. Child Development Perspectives, 13(3), 123-128.
• Williams, S., & Smith, L. (2018). The Role of Social Media in Adolescent Development: A Review of the Literature. The Journal of Adolescence, 62, 1-10.
• Brown, J. D. (2021). The Influence of Peer Groups on Adolescent Behavior. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50(5), 931-945.
• Adams, R., & McCarthy, J. (2019). Modern Parenting in the Digital Age. Journal of Parenting Research, 8(1), 15-30.
• Cooper, H. (2022). Understanding Peer Pressure in Adolescents: A Psychological Perspective. International Journal of Psychology, 57(1), 112-126.
• Garcia, L. & Ortega, M. (2020). The Effects of Parenting and Peer Influence on Substance Use in Adolescents. Substance Use & Misuse, 55(7), 1096-1105.
• Thompson, A. (2018). The Dynamics of Peer Influence in Adolescent Decision Making. Developmental Psychology, 54(2), 239-246.