Exploring Relationships between Peer Attachment and Adolescent Behavioral Problems

Abstract

The key objective of this article is to determine the effects of peer attachment on adolescent behavioral problems and the mechanisms involved, with a view to providing a theoretical basis for adolescent behavioral intervention. The article focuses on the online behavioral problems and traditional behavioral problems of adolescents. The former includes the Internet addiction and cyberbullying, while the latter is mainly classified as aggression, social participation disorders and substance abuse. Through a review of previous literature, this paper finds that peer attachment is negatively correlated with the occurrence of behavioral problems in adolescents, as adolescents with stronger peer attachments develop more pro-social behavior, which inhibits the development of problematic behavior. Future research should focus more on the mediating factors of peer attachment and adolescent behavioral problems to make the study more specific and precise and to improve the effectiveness of interventions for individual behavioral problems.