Peer Groups
The peer group, sometimes referred to as a clique if the members are closely knit, is usually a small, informal, and somewhat exclusive affiliation of individuals in a face-to-face group. It has been defined as a "social group approximately equal in age and status to one's own category, such as a group of college sophomores." It has a common set of values but no formal rules. Members of a clique satisfy their feelings for belongingness in ways that make them think and act alike. Sometimes loneliness helps force the individual to conform to the behavior of his group.
A special peer group or clique, a term long used by sociologists, mayor may not be associated with a geographic location. Cliques are, however, made up of individuals who are brought together daily in some practical way (e.g., car pools). Adolescents usually fall into school cliques, recreational cliques, and institutional cliques (e.g., Scouts, chp,:,ch groups). Cliques begin to form around the fourteenth year of age. Initially consisting exclusively of boys or girls, they develop later into mixed groups, with the sexes being equally repre· sentell,
The typical adolescent crowd is composed of several cliques that join together in some "gathering." Activities involving both sexes have more organizational complications than those organized on a single-sex basis. For example, cross-clique dating sometimes requires approval by members of the cliques to which the boy and girl belong. Girls cliques are more closely knit than are boys', with more resistance
to change. This makes it difficult for a new person coming into the school or neighborhood to gain acceptance.
Adolescent peer groups come into existence informally, with indi\'iduals simply getting together to do things. Congeniality based on interests or special aptitudes provides a basis for peer group formation. Studies show that cliques hold together well because their selection system makes sure that the individual will "fit." One researcher found that being together consumes 64 to 99 percent of young adolescents' leisure time.
Typically the adolescent peer group tries to avoid supervision of its activities by adults, engaging in such pastimes as gossiping, dancing. elating, going places. watching television, and eating. Influence of the peer group structure on adolescent attitudes and behavior is enormous for both good and bad.
On the positive side the clique offers its members:
- Opportunity for satisfying the need for belonging.
- Opportunity for release of emotional tensions in a friendly climate.
- Opportunity for development of social skills.
- Opportunity for reinforcement of one's own personal importance.
- A status power structure providing prestige in the eyes of his or her peers.
- Incentive to behave in mature ways.
- A source of protection in striving for independence.
- Trial-and-error experiences in developing humal1 relations skills.
On the negative side the clique:
- Restricts development of individuality of its members.
- Tends to encourage hostility of members of "out groups."
- Creates competition of "keeping up with the Joneses," or "down with the mob."
- Creates conflict of allegiance between parental authority and clique mores.
- Amplifies the development of class segregation.
- Sometimes disrupts organizational harmony of school or campus.
