Running head: PSYCHOLOGY 1

How does behavior differ in children as they grow?

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How does behavior differ in children as they grow?

Children, up to a point in their lives when they reach the age of adulthood, are in a state of

continuous development, both intellectually and physically. They learn new things about life,

how to regulate their emotions, behave in line with societal standards, and adapt to the

expectations of their conduct. A variety of different variables shapes their actions. Some

elements are external, such as those that pertain to the child's surroundings, and some are

internal, such as those that pertain to the child's natural qualities and physical skills. The cultural

and social context in which children are raised, the impact of their parents, and the influence of

their classmates are all examples of extraneous influences that may affect children's behaviors.

Many researchers think that children's behaviors are shaped more by their peers and society than

by their parents, even though it is traditionally thought that parents are the most influential

factors in the lives of children. This is even though it is believed that parents are the most

influential factor in the lives of children.

The relationships children develop with their contemporaries at a young age, beginning as

early as six months old and continuing through adolescence, have a significant impact on their

lives. This impact may result in the development of optimistic attitudes toward life through

forming friendships, or it may lead to undesirable behaviors such as substance abuse, alcoholism,

and bullying (Ferguson et al., 2018). On the other hand, there is another school of thought among

psychologists and academics who maintain that parents are the most significant figures in their

children's life. Children pick up their initial set of social skills and patterns of conduct from their

parents, and they do so by mimicking the actions of their parents. Children are susceptible to

both good and bad impacts from their parents. The question of whether or not children's actions
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are molded more by classmates and society and less by parents will be investigated in depth

during this paper, with many points of view on the topic being highlighted.

The impact on one's peers and the culture as a whole

Children begin their lives in the social world of their families. However, as time

progresses, they are introduced to the social world of peers and begin spending an increasing

amount of time with friends of the same age (Carlson et al., 2018). The connections kids have

with their classmates are distinct from those they have with their parents or siblings. Because

every kid in the group is going through the same phase of uncertainty, fear, and wonder as well

as growth, the connections that children have with their peers are on an equal level, and as a

result, this form of relationship is more stable. The obstacles children experience at school, such

as finding new friends, keeping the friends they already have, avoiding bullies, and fitting in with

peer groups, all contribute to developing their interpersonal skills, and children confront these

challenges while they are learning. Children learn various life skills via their interactions with

their peers, including how to handle disagreements, be assertive, win respect, and keep their

feelings of rage and violence in check.

Psychologist asserts that children are subject to a significantly larger amount of influence

from extraneous factors, such as popular culture, friends, and street gangs, than from either their

parents or their genes (Russo et al., 2018). From her point of view, "In the long run, what

happens to kids outside the parental home is what causes them to turn out the way they do." She

maintains that the family environment in which a kid is raised has very little bearing on the adult

they will become. She argues that the culture children are expected to get along with affects the

conduct youngsters exhibit. For example, a child whose Chinese immigrant parents are raised in

the United States will become Americanized because he or she will pick up the accent, speech
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patterns, mannerisms, and attitudes of his or her American peers, as well as the popular

American culture he or she will grow up with, rather than that of his or her parents. Even if the

youngster is raised in a household where Chinese is spoken, it is unlikely that he will become

proficient in the language since most of his time spent with his peers outside the home will be

spent communicating in English.

The process of children gradually distancing themselves from the authority of their

parents starts throughout the time of puberty, in particular. Their increased awareness of their

autonomy and the need for more personal space causes them to draw farther away from their

parents and toward their friends (Russo et al., 2018). During this period, the number of

disagreements with parents grows, and these disagreements become more severe when the new

influences in the lives of children are opposed to the principles that the parents uphold. For

example, an Indian parent who has immigrated to the United States will find it difficult to accept

the idea of their teenage daughter attending prom night with a boyfriend due to their conservative

cultural roots. However, their daughter was raised in the United States, so she will have a greater

propensity toward American values than Indian social values.

Influence of the Parents

On the other hand, one school of thought asserts that the family is "the first unit with

which children have a constant interaction and the initial setting in which socialization patterns

evolve." They think that the interpersonal ties that children have with their parents have a

significant impact on the children's growth and development. Parents can be influential figures in

their children's lives that are either beneficial or harmful (Winburn et al., 2018). If the parents are

responsible and committed, then it is more probable that the children will behave well and do

well in school. Children are more likely to imitate their parents' behavior if they lead a careless
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lifestyle and indulge in risky behaviors such as substance misuse and excessive drinking. There

is a wealth of data to support the hypothesis that children whose abusive parents raise are more

likely to develop abusive tendencies of their own as adults. Studies have shown that most of the

time, teenagers who engage in binge drinking acquire their supply of alcohol from their parents.

Children's behavior and thought patterns are heavily influenced by their parents, and this

is true across various cultural contexts. In most cases, the parents are responsible for preparing

their children to engage with the larger society. Children often acquire a range of sociocultural

norms, expectations, and taboos through their interactions with their parents, who serve as the

prototypical model for how to conduct themselves in the presence of other people. For instance,

it is common for young children to acquire a manner of speech similar to that of their parents,

and the extent to which culture plays a role in this is often the case. Children of European and

American descent often provide lengthy, elaborate, and self-centered tales emphasizing personal

preferences and autonomy. Additionally, the way they engage is often reciprocal, with each party

taking turns conversing. In contrast, the reports of Korean and Chinese youngsters are often

concise, relationally focused, and show a significant concern with authority. They often

participate in the dialogues with a less active role. When speaking with an impartial interviewer,

youngsters exhibit the same cultural nuances that are seen in their interactions with one another.

Cultural variations in how adults interact with children may also affect how youngsters

behave socially. In Chinese culture, for example, parents take on significant responsibility and

power over their children. As a result, parents engage with their children more authoritatively

and expect them to obey their instructions. Children who are brought up in such settings are

more likely to comply with their parent's wishes, even if they are hesitant to do so, than children

who are not raised in such settings.

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When both the ideas of the two schools of thought are considered, it is possible to

conclude that children are influenced in their lives by both parents and peers. Suppose one's

relationship with one's peers can result in positive and negative influences, such that one can

excel in his studies with the support and companionship of his friends and may go astray by

beginning to abuse drugs and alcohol under the influence of the wrong friends. In that case, the

relationship with one's parents can also have positive and negative influences. Children may

benefit from having caring and devoted parents to their development, in contrast to parents who

are uncaring and abusive and who may steer their children down the wrong road. However, the

only time that youngsters are susceptible to the influence of their peers is when their parents let

up on their supervision of them (Russo et al., 2018). The children of parents who are active in

their children's lives are less likely to participate in dangerous behaviors such as consuming

alcohol or smoking. Children who do not have the engagement of their parents in their life are at

an increased risk for several negative outcomes, including adolescent pregnancy, drug misuse,

and despair. As a result, I believe that the impact of one's parents is the single most essential

component in a kid's life. The influence of peers is only allowed to prevail when parents lack

participation.

In conclusion, there are a variety of elements, both internal and external, that might

impact a child's behavior. The impact of their parents, the influence of their peers, and society

are all external variables that might affect their behavior. Many believe that children's influence

from their peers and from society plays a more significant part in the development of their

behaviors than the role that their parents play. They think that children begin to acquire certain

social abilities and interpersonal skills when they mingle with other children of the same age

outside their families. This is known as "peer group interaction." In particular, as children reach
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the age of puberty, they begin to grow more apart from their parents while simultaneously

becoming closer to the people their age. However, according to a different school of thinking, the

impact of parents is the single most essential aspect in the lives of children since parents are the

first social unit with which a kid becomes familiar. When a kid's parents are not actively

involved in their lives, the youngster is far more susceptible to the influence of his or her friends.

The second school of thought, and I agree, is that parents have a bigger effect on their children's

lives than their children's classmates do.

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References

Carlson, S. M., Shoda, Y., Ayduk, O., Aber, L., Schaefer, C., Sethi, A., ... & Mischel, W. (2018).

Cohort effects in children’s delay of gratification. Developmental psychology, 54(8),

1395. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/dev-dev0000533.pdf

Ferguson, C. J., & Colwell, J. (2018). A meaner, more callous digital world for youth? The

relationship between violent digital games, motivation, bullying, and civic behavior

among children. Psychology of popular media culture, 7(3), 202, Retrieved from

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/ppm-ppm0000128.pdf

Russo, J. M., McKown, C., Russo-Ponsaran, N. M., & Allen, A. (2018). Reliability and validity

of a Spanish language assessment of children’s social-emotional learning

skills. Psychological Assessment, 30(3), 416. Retrieved from

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/pas-pas0000508.pdf

Winburn, A., Gilstrap, D., & Perryman, M. (2017). Treating the tiers: Play therapy responds to

intervention in the schools. International Journal of Play Therapy, 26(1), 1 Retrieved

from https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/pla-pla0000041.pdf