Middle Childhood and Adolescent Development

Middle Childhood and Adolescence Development

Miquavian Tate

PSY/375

November 6, 2014

Katrena Taylor-Springs

Middle Childhood and Adolescence Development

The period of adolescence, and the growth and development during the middle childhood stages of life may be exciting and time for self-exploration. Although this time of maturity may be a struggle for teens as they constantly to find their true selves and come to the realization that they are about to become an adult and they can not be dependent on their family for much longer (Berger, 2008). As the relationship with their peers continues to grow, it will help with the difficult times they have to cope with when finding themselves. The type of peer pressure that a child has can either be a major help or a major burden while growing up but that depends on the types of friends that they choose to keep around them.. During adolescence there may be times when peer pressure will be overbearing as the child faces pressures of the social world in regards to drug use, experimentation with sexual interest, and the way they start to look at relationships. Having a strong network of family and friends will guide a child through these times and will help relieve some stress along the way.

The relationship that one has with its peers will help a child find its place within a specific group or social class (Berger, 2008). The right relationship within their peers will help a child feel more comfortable while growing more socially and may also set the standard for the type of morals they child will place upon themselves (Blume, 2006). Interaction within their social circle will lead to lasting friendship and emotional support that helps in developing more social skills during this awkward phase in their lives. Middle childhood brings a significant change on the way a child views its relationships with friends and their families. Around the age of four is when children start to make friends and begin...