Chap 8.5 - Social transitions from youth to adulthood + Activity 8.

11 Questions +
Discussion Question 

1. Explain why peers are important during youth

Having friends and feeling connected to a group gives teenagers a sense of belonging and being valued, which
helps them develop confidence. Friendships also help teenagers learn important social and emotional skills, like
being sensitive to other people's thoughts, feelings, and wellbeing.

2. Describe the social skills that develop by spending time with peers.

Positive peer groups practice behaviours such as cooperating, sharing, resolving conflicts, and supporting others.
The accepted standards, or norms, of positive peer groups can help adolescents build relationship skills, hold
favourable views of themselves, and have the confidence to take positive risks.

3. Outline what an individual can learn by interacting with their peers.

Teamwork: Peer learning fosters teamwork, cooperation, patience, and better social skills. In a cooperative peer
learning environment, each student's strengths can serve to complement the group and enhance learning.

4. Explain why being accepted by their peers is important for a young person.

Because acceptance by a peer group becomes so important, teens may modify their speech, dress, behaviour,
choices, and activities in order to become more similar to their peers.

5. Describe how a person’s relationships with their peer groups change during
early, middle and late youth.

During early youth, young people typically have at least one primary peer group with which they identify,
concerns about acceptance are at their peak. During middle youth, peer groups tend to be more gender mixed
and more tolerance of individual differences in appearances, beliefs and feelings are typical. By late youth,
larger peer group have often been replaced by more intimate relationships.

6. Outline the possible consequences for an individual of not being accepted by a

peer group.

Might get suicidal thoughts from feeling excluded.

DISCUSS

Discuss how experiencing positive relationships during youth can influence a young person’s social
development.

Chap 8.6 - Intellectual transitions from youth to adulthood + Discussion Question 

Chap 8.7 - Emotional transitions from youth to adulthood + Discussions Question + 8.2
Extension Question