Recognizing peer group control
Forging a relationship with peers is not accomplished without the heat of conflict, especially during the late elementary school years. During the first two-thirds of elementary school, children developed close friendships within groups that had permeable boundaries for belonging. In late elementary and middle school, the structure of the peer group becomes much more complicated. The need to belong to a group can be intense.
The boundaries of membership become more rigid. Inclusion can be more difficult to achieve and exclusion can be more painful than during middle elementary school.
Members of the peer group will become more emphatic as to what is expected for inclusion. As much as we may want all children to just get along, control becomes an integral part of peer group development. This control becomes apparent in two ways. First, there is the test. Friends will tease and challenge each other, prod each other to
test weaknesses. Overcoming these little confrontations is part of that test. Second, there is the dispute. The dispute is a form of group discipline. A member who deviates from behaviour that is expected will face playful criticism that could escalate to isolation and rejection. This is a complicated dynamic that could evolve differently between boy’s and girl’s peer groups.
Both the test and the dispute are peer challenges.
(Charles A. Smith, Ph.D. Kansas State University)
The content of this fact sheet is subject to revision at any time. For the most recent version, check the website.
http://www.theringofvalor.com
If you have any questions or comments, you can contact the author at casmith@ksu.edu.
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