Peer relations

Abstract

From the earliest ages of life young people are drawn into relationships with peers. Given the opportunity, even toddlers are inclined to orient towards age mates. This inclination grows through the rest of childhood to become particularly prominent during adolescence, when many adults express fears that peers will rival or surpass adults in their ability to influence the actions and thoughts of young people. Such concerns have some merit, as researchers routinely report that the strongest correlate of deviant behavior among teenagers is the deviance level of their friends (Elliott and Menard 1996 ). In such research, however, the capacity for peers to exert positive influences or provide health-enhancing resources is often understated or overlooked. In this chapter we will review evidence of the ways in which peers enhance positive youth development in several domains of young people's lives.