This document discusses the ecology of peer groups. It defines a peer group as composed of individuals of roughly equal age and background. It describes four main types of peer groups: elites, athletes, academics, and deviants. Peer groups influence members through socialization, shaping self-esteem and gender roles. While peer groups provide belonging and support, they can also negatively pressure behavior if members have bad influences. Peer groups have a structure that includes peers, crowds, cliques, and friends.

1. ECOLOGY OF PEER GROUP
By: Cyprian Ndive

2. CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION
 DEFINITION OF PEER GROUP
 TYPES OF PEER GROUPS
 FUCTIONS PEER GROUPS
 RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS
 ADVANTAGES OF PEER GROUPS
 DISADVANTAGES OF PEER GROUPS
 PEER GROUP STRUCTURE
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES

3. INTRODUCTION
 The family provides many, if not most of the socialization
experiences of early childhood. As children grow older, forces
outside of the family increasingly influence them. In particular,
children begin to relate more and more to their peer groups.

4. DEFINITION OF PEER GROUP
 A peer group is a primary group
composed of individuals of roughly
equal age, background and similar
social characteristics

5. TYPES OF PEER GROUPS
 The Elites: The Elites category was recognized across studies as being a high status
group.
 The Athletes: Athlete group status was associated with being popular.
 The Academics: Academics” as a peer group more devoted to academic studies and
academic-related extracurricular activities than to any other activities.
 The Deviants: As opposed to the Elites, Athletes, and Academics, the Deviants cared
least about schoolwork, school extracurricular activities, or future careers. They neither
excelled academically nor athletically

6. FUCTIONS PEER GROUPS
 Peer groups can also serve as a venue for teaching members gender roles. Through
gender-role socialization, group members learn about sex differences, and social and
cultural expectations.
 It’s also an imperative supportive feature in shaping an individuals self-esteem and self-
valuation.
 Peer groups can have great influence or peer pressure on each other's gender role
behavior, depending on the amount of pressure.

7. RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS
 The peer group serves as a strong support to teenagers providing
them with a sense of belonging and a feeling of strength and power.
 To gain acceptance by a group, younger teenagers tend to confirm
completely in such things as mode of dress, hairstyle, taste in music
and vocabulary.

8. ADVANTAGES OF PEER GROUPS
 Groups of friends who volunteer their time, have ambitious school or work related
goals and positive relationships with family, then you are likely to hold the same
values and beliefs. In addition, having high-quality friendships sets you up for
success in the social world.
 The more positive your relationships are with your peer group, the more likely you
are to have good relationships in the future.

9. DISADVANTAGES OF PEER GROUPS
 peers don't usually "pressure” to do anything and thus rather change their behavior
because they want to fit in, it still exerts an influence.
 If you start hanging around with a bad crowd, their values and beliefs have the potential to
negatively affect your behavior.

10. PEER GROUP STRUCTURE
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Peers
crowds
cliques
friends

11. PEERS

12. CROWDS

13. CLIQUES

14. FRIENDS

15. CONCLUSION
 Peer group, both social and primary groups most importantly has influenced
personality development across life long process, manifested in different form and
life phases. In addition it has been an ecology that affect teenage development
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LINK:
 https://youtu.be/BLF-gRiqqa0

16. REFERENCES
 Arnett JJ. Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the
twenties. American Psychologist. 2000;55:469–480.
 Dolcini MM, Adler NE. Perceived competencies, peer group affiliation, and risk behavior
among early adolescents. Health Psychology. 1994;13(6):496–506.
 Downs RD, Rose SR. The relationship of adolescent peer groups to the incidence of
psychosocial problems. Adolescence. 1991;26(102):473–492.