Peer Group Importance

In high school surviving is the hardest things to do, when anyone first come there. The best thing to do is finding a clique of people and join them. Finding different cliques are not that hard, but knowing who they are and adapting the environment is one of the hardest thing to do in high school. Finding a wrong clique can lead anyone straight down to a life of hell or worse. Students who entering high school can identify the types of cliques of student are in, and join up with whatever cliques that their find is good for them.

Between grades one through six, which is approximately 6 years of age to eleven years of age, children place priority and importance of popularity, which increases over the elementary school years, this reaches its peak in late middle school and in the early high school years. Studies show that children in grades one through four consider popularity more important than friendship. It was also found that early and middle adolescents generally place more emphasis on conforming and being part of a popular group than younger or older children do. The low-status group, which hope for acceptance into the high-status groups may get some attention, however, rarely do they obtain full acceptance. Erikson, Piaget, Vygotsky, Bandura, and Kohlberg all have theories that address the

The groups that are formed as adolescents often determine group associations as adults and define an individual within their social group that will either set them with or against other groups. This is described in an article on social groupings by Colin Allen, which mentions that our social associations as adolescents are strong indicators to future patterns of social norms as adults. Therefore, the group of students in the movie, The Breakfast Club, can also be extrapolated to adult group dynamics. However, the varying social norms between groups can present conflicts when adults are required to function within a very diverse group of individuals. In The Breakfast Club, the Jock, Geek, Prom Queen, Delinquent, and the Freak groups are brought together initially through an autocratic or directive leadership role, used to bring the group together in order to proceed to the next phase of group development. This stage is particularly important within a group of

“Why fit in when you can stand out?” You have been told this your whole life. But whose responsibility is it to find out where you fit in, yours? Or your peers? Your adolescent years are all about trying to not stand out, and trying just as hard to fit in with the “in crowd.” You use more energy trying to “fit in,” instead of just spending all your energy on being who you really are. A group of friends are suppose to have things in common, but that is hard when everyone is putting up a fake persona. It is the student body’s responsibility to make sure that everyone has a place they can fit in and be themselves. People spend their whole lives trying to “fit in,” while the people who “stand out” are the ones who become something. Think

Middle school was the point in every middle scholar’s life to find a group where they fit in. These groups were called cliques, a group centered around gossiping about others and even gossiping about one another in the group. In middle school this group became your community. The group you do everything with and told everything to. This group is almost like your other family. Sadly, this community, the people you surround yourself with can lead to negative thinking about others. Your community can easily persuade your actions and thoughts because the people you surround yourself with have such a big influence on your life.

Every public school lunch room is filled with many tables, every day these tables are the perfect place for a student to find where they “belong”. Like Beverly Daniel Tatum states in “Why Are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?”, part of the social groups forming in high schools goes to thank adolescents. Tatum writes, “As children enter adolescence, they begin to explore the question of identity, asking ‘Who am I?’ ‘Who can I be?’”(375). At this point in their life everyone begins to see their own interests and hobbies that makes them a little different than others. Because students are starting to realize their differences, in modern day high schools there are many social groups that students can identify with and feel the most comfortable being themselves.

This is a time where there will be an urge to become closer to peers and become more social with people outside of the usual. This is also a time when notable changes in attitude may be seen. Burnett and Blakemore found that teenagers will are more susceptible to peer pressure, but they also become more resilient to it, especially between the ages of 14 and 18. Teens become more self aware of their ability to refuse peer pressure and make decisions for themselves. Through learning to reject certain people and behaviors, there is also a period of learning who enhances one’s personality. This learning stage brings attention to self-identity and group identity. People usually find a difference in the actions that they would do alone when compared to when peers are involved; this is also called Social Psychology, which is the understanding of individuals behavior in social situations (McLeod). Attitudes and emotions may become impacted by who is interacting with a person and there may be a willingness to do things that originally wouldn’t happen. The difference in personality and interactions is to prepare people for when they leave the stage of adolescence- Hopefully, humans emerge capable of socializing with others and communicating emotions- Even as the human brain continues to socially develop (Blakemore

In the famous movie, “The Breakfast Club, we see how five teenagers, each members of different high school cliques, who spend a Saturday in detention together and come to realize that they are all more than their respective stereotypes. High school cliques determine who, what and where they belong. Most of the high schools have "cliques"; which are groups of students with similar interests that hang out together. When looking at what really goes on in the average high school, and how friendships are formed, it is amazing. When observing the jock, nerd and the popular kids, one must wonder where they fit in.

Cliches, common at most high schools, often categorize and exclude students with unique interests and talents for being “weird”. Whereas, at St. John’s students genuinely appreciate the unique gifts present in each of their fellow classmates. Encouraged to feel compassion for fellow classmates and others, Prep student learn the benefits of considering the needs of others and helping were needed. As such, no one should feel alone at the prep with the support of their brothers ever present. Starting at a new school can be terrifying, especially when it comes to finding a group to sit with at lunch. While at lunch with his friends, one student noticed a boy sitting alone. He asked the boy to sit with them, and from that simple compassionate gesture, a close friendship developed. At the Prep students develop a network of friends within the community, a network not restrained by the boundaries of a cliche, but instead as diverse as their individual interests. Friends who celebrate each other's success and support each other’s needs, friends who will be present and who will not

In the coming months, I began spending more time alone in the library and grassland thinking the “abstract”. It coincided with the start of high school. So, I had no one whom I would call “friend” at that time. When my peers used to talk about sports, girls and Facebook memes, I lacked any interest. I found it not only difficult to socialize, but to some degree unnecessary. Teenage conversations can be so much lame, juvenile and intellectually bereft. I hated small talks and discussions about people or events. In short, I did not fit there.

In the famous movie, “The Breakfast Club,” we see how five teenagers, each a member of a different high school clique, spends a Saturday in detention together and realize that they are all more than their respective stereotypes. High school cliques determine who, what and where students belong. The typical high school has "cliques"; which are groups of students with similar interests that hang out together. When looking at what really goes on in the average high school, and how friendships are formed, it is amazing. When observing the jock, the nerd and the popular kids, one must wonder where they fit in and how these groups will affect the future.

Argument Essay Every year, consistently, teenagers attending a new school face genuine difficulties. They usually face personal issues, social issues, and judicial issues. For instance, they may experience difficulty understanding who they are and their potential purpose in society, making and maintaining relationships, and staying out of trouble. These sorts of issues don't go away, and require teenagers to fail or “learn the hard way”, before they can identify the issues themselves.

In these groups that the adolescent is choosing to be with is where they can learn their deviant behavior. Some adolescents may have a romantic interest in someone and it can fill the void that they feel between them and the adults in their life. Other peer groups may have this specific juvenile feeling left out or alienated. Although the child hangs out in crowds of people they can still feel lonely.

We all have been young adolescents before and experienced all the things junior high and high school has to offer. Being a teenager is something everyone has or will experience in our life times. Teenagers go through a crucial time in their lives where they really figure out who they are and how to make more adult decisions. Peer pressure has always been a regular part of teenage life. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry state's “Peers play a large role in the social and emotional development of children and adolescents. Their influence begins at an early age and increases through the teenage years. It is natural, healthy and important for children to have and rely on friends as they grow and

The peer group shares with the school the important function of allowing the child to be away from the family where the child learns different models of behavior as well as well as new relationships and values they might not have learned in their family life. Peer groups also allow the opportunity to discuss interests that adults may not share (clothes, music). The peer group also teaches children how to deal with conflicts.