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Psychology
How family relationships, friends and peers, and school influence adolescents and their
relationships.
The adolescent stage is a transitional stage of both psychological and physical
development. This is a period between puberty and early adulthood where teenagers are normally
faced with crises and stress while trying to find their identity and independence in decision
making. This stage proves difficult for most adolescents. At this stage, most adolescents depend
on interpersonal relationships with those they share common interests and feelings. It is until the
adolescents get supportive relationships that they will be able to acquaint themselves with
resources that will help them adjust and cope with the tasks of that stage and grow beyond that.
Friends, peers, school, and family play a big role in the development of an adolescent.
Availability of these groups allows an individual to grow up having a positive attitude towards
life. Quality friendship has an adverse role to play in an adolescent's life. Adolescents with
quality friendships tend to have high self-esteem because they feel belonging, unlike those who
find themselves in friendships in friendships of low quality who end up getting in dysfunctional
behavior. According to Saric and Sakic (2014), the effects of parenting style on the adolescent's
wellbeing showed that adolescents who belong to authoritative families tend to show satisfaction
in life and have higher self-esteem than those who have authoritative parents. It is true that
adolescents with friends have better family relations and have a positive attitude toward family
relationships. It is also important to note that adolescents with supportive and close friends
exhibit a high level of competence and self-worth even if they have inadequate families. Peer
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influence is minimized by parents being closer to the adolescents since they are at a point where
they find identity and may end up falling prey to bad peer groups. Parents need to adjust the
parenting style and reflect on the ones that give the most favorable outcomes.
How family relationships, friends and peers, and school influence adolescent psychological
development (both healthy/ positive and unhealthy/ negative).
The most crucial period of an individual’s health and wellbeing in adolescence. It is
characterized by rapid cognitive, biological, and neurological changes, greatly impacting
psychological functioning and relationship. This is the stage where most people are exposed to
drugs and substance abuse, and other illicit behaviors. According to Donoghue, approximately
1out of 5 adolescents have been diagnosed to have a mental problem. Close relationships form
the basis for an adolescent's psychological development in that stage and beyond. Inadequate
pro-social communication within the family may result in increased mental health risks.
Adolescents who are always conflicting with their parents and peers frequently have low levels
of self-esteem. They get withdrawn from academics and engage themselves in substance abuse.
Schools also have a key role in the psychological development of an adolescent. In a school
setting where minimal boundaries are set between teachers and students, there are increased
engagements and, as a result, better health and wellbeing of adolescents experienced.
Purpose at least two (2) ways society can support adolescent psychology to manage and cope
with family relationships, friends and peers, and school in relation to psychological,
emotional, developmental, and relational concerns.
Society needs to create a strong bond with the adolescent because most of the psychological
issues that arise from poor relationships result from feeling unwanted or failing to have an
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identity. A strong bond will also create an avenue where individuals can communicate issues that
affect them more amicably. The society also needs to incorporate adolescents in decision-
making. Incorporating them in finding solutions to problems makes them feel that they are part
of solutions to society's problems. This will motivate them to find solutions to problems that may
affect their peer group even without seeking advice from older members of their society. When
adolescents are involved in finding solutions to society's problems, their confidence is boosted.
Hence, they will always strive to be responsible members who can be trusted; thus, unhealthy
behaviors amongst the adolescents will be reduced.
