Peer relationships become increasingly important during adolescence. While peers can lead teens into risky behaviors, peer relationships fulfill important social and emotional needs that cannot be met by parents or teachers alone. They provide a forum for self-expression, social interaction beyond the family, and a transition from total reliance on parents to greater independence. Having close friendships benefits teens socially and emotionally, reducing stress and boosting self-esteem. Peer status and popularity are influenced by characteristics like the number of positive and negative nominations received from other teens. Groups satisfy personal needs, raise self-worth, and contribute to identity development during adolescence. A lack of peer acceptance puts some teens at risk for long-term psychosocial difficulties.

1. CHAPTER 9 - Peers
The influence of the peer group increases noticeably in adolescence. Some people view the peer group as
leading the adolescent into _________ , ____ taking, poor _________ habits, and many of the behaviors
that both _________ and the general public find _________ . However, Peer relationships fill a
_________ that cannot be addressed by _________ or _________ . They offer a forum for expressing
_________, learning ____ , and establishing _________ not achieved in other arenas. It helps teens
_________ from almost total _________ on parents to an adult _________ of thought and action. Peers
provide a means of social _________ and a source of _________ beyond the family. Adolescent peer
groups and _________ are more _________ and are under less _________ supervision. Another big
change is that although teens spend _________ of their interactions with the ____ gender peers, growth of
_________ relationships with the teens of the other _________ increases.
Friends are a _________ of peers who engage in mutual _________ , _________ , and _________ .
Friendships with peers provide the opportunity for adolescents to develop _________ with someone who
comes from the same ____ and ____ , and someone who ____ things from the adolescent _________ .
Having good friends has many _________ benefits. Teens with friends are more socially _________ ,
_________ , _________ and self-_________ . Having friends also can reduce _________ and difficulties
associated with changes in the _________ , such as _________ from a smaller to a larger _________ .
Believing that friends are not _________ is related to _________ , low self _________ , and school
related _________ , especially for ____ .
Parents consciously and unconsciously influence the types of peer relationships established by their
adolescent children. Early _________ histories influence later relationships with peers. Parents choose
_________ in which adolescents ____ , go to _________ , and _________ . Parents suggest _________
for _________ and _________ peer relationships.
Peer status is an aspect of peer relationships influenced by several adolescent characteristics. 1)
_________ adolescents who receive many very _________ ratings from other teens and very few
_________ ratings are described as _________ , good _________ , _________ , _________ , and
_________ . 2) _________ children receive an average number of _________ and _________
nominations from peers. 3) _________ adolescents who receive very few _________ and _________
ratings from other adolescents are unlikely to be nominated as a ____ friend, but are not _________ . 4)
_________ adolescents who receive many _________ ratings from other adolescents and very few
_________ ratings tend to be _________ and _________ , and are _________ by their peers. 5)
_________ children who receive many _________ and many _________ ratings are _________ ,
nominated both as best friends and as _________ .
Socially _________ adolescents are able to quickly and _________ decode and _________ social ____ ,
and successfully _________ a variety of desirable _________ that maintain positive _________ . They
recognize that it may take ____ to establish a _________ and put forth the necessary _________ .
Unpopular adolescents often _________ attend to social ____ , _________ what they _________ ,
generate _________ response alternatives, choose one that works _________ to get rid of potential
_________ , and enact a response with little _________ of the short-term or long-term _________ of their
behavior. Resultant _________ and _________ by others limits opportunity to interact with socially
_________ models, supports negative _________ about the _________ of others, and increases the
_________ of _________ responses toward peers.
Teens also define ____ relationship in terms of membership in groups. Groups satisfy adolescents’
personal ____ , _________ them, provide _________ , can raise their self-_________ , and contribute to
their _________ . Groups provide adolescents with ____ or ____ that all members are expected to follow.
They also afford an opportunity for group members to take on ____ to _________ designated ____ .
Group membership in _________ which are ____ groups loosely _________ together by shared
_________ and _________ (e.g., band membership) or _________ , relatively _________ , tightly knit
_________ of friends who spend considerable amount of ____ together (e.g., jocks) contributes to a sense
of _________ , _________ self-_________ , and _________ separate from _________ . Crowds provide
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2. opportunities to establish an _________ , even if only _________ . Crowds offer the possibility of trying
out different ____ if adolescents ____ between them.
Children and adolescents, who are unable to make friends or become a part of their peer group,
experience risk for long-term psychosocial difficulties. Research suggests that approximately __ to __
percent of grade school children and nearly __ percent of adolescents are _________ by their peer group.
The majority of students who ____ out do so due to lack of peer _________ .
Several studies noted that __ percent of boys with low _________ by peers stayed in school compared to
_________ accepted boys with an __ percent _________ rate. Females show a dramatic __ percent rate of
_________ when identified as low _________ students. Females with high _________ had a completion
rate of __ percent. A six-year longitudinal study reported rates for dropping out were __ percent for
_________ students, __ percent for students identified as _________ , __ percent of students identified as
_________ , but only ____ percent for students identified as _________ . _________ students clearly
experienced the ____ favorable outcomes of limited peer _________ .
Peer groups are affected by _________ and _________ . ____ associate in ____ groups than ____ and
engage in _________ and ____ taking more than ____ . ____ are more oriented toward _________
relationships and _________ than ____ . Peer group affiliation often is based on social ____ and
_________ that may define the group. Ethnic _________ youth may depend on peers for _________
within the larger _________ culture. Adolescents from different _________ backgrounds may show
different _________ of peer relations. For example, _________ adolescents seek _________ later
compared to _________ adolescents and therefore tend to spend ____ time with ____ compared to
_________ adolescents.
Adolescents demonstrate serious heterosexual contact through dating. Much less research has been
conducted with gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth. Research has revealed great complexity on the romantic
possibilities of sexual minority youth. Dating scripts are models that individuals use to guide dating
_________ . The ____ script is _________ whereas the _________ script is _________ . ____ initiate the
____ , plan the ____ and initiate _________ activity. The _________ role is more _________ and
involves _________ to the ____ dating behavior. In general, the ____ role is more ____ than the
_________ role.
_________ history, death of a _________ , _________ , _________ , and ____ influence intimate
relationships. Most adolescents experience _________ love which is a _________ form of _________
and involves _________ and prominent among _________ and _________ students, followed by
_________ love which occurs when individuals _________ to have another person ____ and have a
____ , caring _________ for that person is more prominent in _________ to ____ adulthood.
Once adolescents start dating they may be at risk for dating violence. This type of violence includes
_________ or _________ abuse such as being _________ or _________ . It may also involve _________
or _________ abuse. Between __ percent and __ percent of adolescents have been _________ of serious
_________ dating violence and between __ percent and __ percent of female adolescents have been
_________ victimized by a dating _________ . A number of ____ factors have been associated with
dating violence among adolescence. They include ____ taking behaviors such as ____ abuse and sexual
_________ , which could lead to victimization. _________ violence also predicts dating violence. Other
variables related to dating violence include having a _________ who has been a _________ of dating
_________ , _________ , and endorsing _________ gender ____ .
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