Interview: Importance of Peer Relationships Among Adolescents

INTERVIEW PAPER CHECKLIST
Before you hand in your projects, please complete the following checklist. Place a check mark in the blank before each requirement to show that you have read and completed the requirement. Place this sheet in the very front of your portfolio.
__X__ The first page of the interview paper is this Interview Paper Checklist.
__X__ The second page following the checklist is the Interview Introduction.
__X__ There are 3 entries – each on a single section, but covering 3 concepts.
__X__ You’ve included a comprehensive reference page at the end of the 3rd entry.
__X__ You’ve placed a blank copy of the Interview Rubric after the reference page.
__X__ You have evaluated your own portfolio using a second copy of the Interview Rubric and included it as the very last page of the portfolio.
__X__ The only place your name appears in the portfolio is on the Interview Rubric you filled out and placed at the very end of the portfolio.
__X__ All pages are securely attached together (i.e., there are no pages that can fall out).
Interview Paper
INTERVIEW INTRODUCTION
1. Interviewee Information
Interviewee #1: Olivia
Olivia is a female aged 12 years. She has an elder brother aged 17 years and a small sister who is three years. Olivia’s mum is a single mother and works in a grocery store. She comes from a middle-income family.
Interviewee #2: Jack
Jack is an African American male aged 19 years. He is currently a second-year student in college pursuing public relations and communication. Jack is the third born with two parents and three siblings, aged 28, 24, and 13.
Interviewee #3: Emma
Emma is a female aged 44 years. She is a single mother with four children aged 19, 16, 11, and 3. Emma is a single mom and works as a banker. Emma divorced two years ago when the last born was just a year old. She is currently co-parenting with her ex-husband.
2. Reason for Selecting Sections and Concepts
Peers
The section on peers was chosen because of the importance of peer relationships among adolescents. During the adolescent stage, individuals develop autonomy from their parents; hence peers became a critical source of support both socially and emotionally (Branje, 2018). Under peers, the selected concepts are youth culture, popularity, and crowds. Youth culture was chosen because young people usually are misunderstood when they defy prevailing cultural norms. Hence, it will be demonstrated that youth culture should not cause alarm, especially among parents. Popularity was chosen to illustrate its role in boosting the self-esteem of adolescents. The concept of crowds will highlight how teenagers explore and develop their identities via connecting with peers through shared image and reputation.
Intimacy and sexuality
The second section is intimacy and sexuality among adolescents. The section was pinpointed to bring to the awareness of parents the need for having conversations around intimacy and sexuality. The issue of intimacy and sexuality is essential among adolescents since this is the period they explore their sexual feelings (Hatchel & Subrahmanyam, 2016). Sexual socialization was selected to demonstrate the different ways in which children and adolescents are exposed to issues dealing with sex. Parents remain the prime socialization agents among children and adolescents (Shin & Ismail, 2014). Parental monitoring and involvement are critical in demonstrating the role of parents as adolescents mature. Parents have an essential role in preventing their children and adolescents from engaging in risky behavior (Hindelang, Dwyer & Leeming, 2001). The concept will indicate what parents should do to prevent their children from engaging in risky sexual behavior. The concept of intimacy was chosen to demonstrate that intimacy does not need to involve a sexual relationship since it may consist of nonsexual relationships.
Families
Families will be examined because they offer care and support to children and teenagers. The section has been identified because the family unit is an essential platform for meeting these adolescents’ needs. The concept of the generation gap will be used to demonstrate the difference in values between one generation and another, particularly between young individuals and their parents (Aggarwal et al., 2017). Parent-adolescent conflict will demonstrate that conflicts that arise between parents and their adolescents are normal. The four parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved parenting) will be discussed extensively. Each parenting style will be examined to demonstrate its impact on the children. The concept will allow parents to identify the technique that works for them while at the same time considering the outcomes associated with it. The concept will show how parents can employ the right approach in rearing children and adolescents.

3. Reflections
The whole project has been instrumental in examining issues affecting adolescents. Society tends to view adolescents as resistant and hence defiant to social norms. The result is often the community neglecting teenagers. The adolescents then start engaging in antisocial behavior. The inability of society to understand adolescents causes some of them to engage in risky behavior. Given that teenagers will become adults in the coming days, the community needs to develop approaches to reach out to them. The project has allowed me to see the challenges affecting adolescents and address some of these issues.
The project has changed my negative attitude towards adolescents, and now I understand why they behave in ways that appear antisocial and deviant to society. I have viewed adolescents from the way society portrays them, which is often from the negative side. It is common to see pictures of teenagers engaging in illicit sex, binge drinking, and drug abuse. Such images had created altered my perception that all adolescents as deviant and antisocial. However, examining concepts like generational gap and youth culture allowed me to see why youths behave in a particular way. Since they are growing, they find it challenging to fit in the prevailing norms in their communities. Now I understand that looking for identity and a sense of belonging causes them to embrace behaviors that are not acceptable by the rest of society.
The focus on peers, intimacy, and sexuality, and families was timely. It allowed me to see why parents are essential for adolescents. Being the primary caregivers, parents have a significant role in understanding what their children are going through. When growing up, my parents were rigorous and did not want to discuss issues on intimacy and sexuality. I was forced to get information on intimacy and sexuality from friends and the Internet. If my parents understood the importance of discussions on sexuality and intimacy, I would have gained more from them. Unlike before, I now appreciate that adolescence entails physical and emotional changes, which can adversely affect the children if not managed well. Such changes can cause conflicts between parents and adolescents. However, I now appreciate that parent-adolescent disputes can be addressed to benefit both parties.
When I become a parent, I would be careful when bringing out my children. The concept of a generational gap has allowed me to appreciate that my perception of life will be different from that of my children. Hence, I will not impose my standards on them; instead, I will allow them to be themselves. Regarding parenting, I will endeavor to be an authoritative parent. I will create a positive relationship with my children. When growing up, my parents were authoritarians. They did not consider my feelings when setting up rules. I could not hold a proper discussion with them on issues I cared about.


ENTRY DESCRIPTION
Entry # _1_ of 3
Section of Entry: Peers
1. Questions for this section
Concept: Youth culture
As a parent, do you feel that you understand your adolescent child/children?
What makes you feel that your parents do not understand you?
What kind of music do you listen to and why?
Do you consider your parents to be old-fashioned?
Have you conflicted with your parent/adolescent on dressing?
Concept: Popularity
What does being popular in your school make you feel?
As a parent, do you think it is a good idea for your child to be famous?
Have you ever wanted to be a celebrity?
Do you encourage your child to be physically attractive?
How does looking good make you feel?
Have you ever had a poor body image?
Concept: Crowds
Do you make decisions based on what your peers approve?
Do you identify with other peers who meet your set criteria?
How do you ensure that your adolescent does not become a victim of peer pressure?
Do you set standards based on what your friends are doing?
Have peer crowds influenced your perspective on life?
How do you assist your adolescent in joining the right crowds?
2. Name and Define Concepts
Concept #1: Youth culture
Youth culture refers to the societal norms that children and adolescents follow differently from the rest (Bennett, 2015). Adolescents find themselves torn between being children and adults. They cannot fit well into the societal norms, hence create a culture of their own that best describes them. It includes the symbolic systems that the youth demographic share differs from the rest of the adults in the particular community.
Concept #2: Popularity
Popularity is the desire to be known within a particular group or setting. Adolescents pursue popularity as a way of enhancing their self-esteem (Valkenburg et al., 2021). As adolescents spend more time with peers, they desire to be recognized within particular groups. Being popular allows adolescents to boost their self-worth. At this point, they want to be well dressed, well-liked and being envied by their peers (De Bruyn & Van Den Boom, 2005). Due to the desire for adolescents to become famous, some work to be physically attractive by following the beautiful-is-good stereotype. Others conform to the norms of the majority so that they may be more acceptable. Due to the importance of self-esteem among adolescents, it is crucial to examine how popularity can enhance it.
Concept # 3: Crowds
Crowds are large groups of adolescents based on shared image and reputation (Cross & Fletcher, 2009). They identify with others who have similar values and lifestyles. Crowds emerge as a result of adolescents looking for a sense of belonging in the community. These peer crowds have values and lifestyles distinct from friendship groups (Lisha, Jordan & Ling, 2016). An individual can belong to different crowds as long as their image matches the crowds’ criteria. Examining the concept of peer crowds is necessary because it will demonstrate how adolescents develop and shape their behavior and attitudes. The study of the concept will illustrate how crowds reinforce the behaviors that led the individual to belong to the particular crowd.
3. Linking the Materials
When asked whether she understands her children, Emma responded that some of their behaviors are antisocial. Emma notably indicated that she finds her 16 and 19-year-olds behaving in a “weird” manner. She does not understand why they are so much into rap and pop music, whose lyrics she sometimes considers inappropriate. The 16-year-old girl has been of late been rebellious, specifically dressing provocatively. Emma also suspects that the 19-year-old could be taking drugs, especially because of the bad company he has been keeping since she separated from the father. During adolescence, peer pressure is intense, which makes adolescents vulnerable to drug abuse. It is also common for adolescents to seek independence from their parents, which Emma’s 16-year-old girl is doing. The girl does not want to comply with some of the instructions from the mother, which makes her appear as a “rebel.”
Olivia feels that her mother does not understand her. The mother wants her to behave in ways that she considers old-fashioned. Olivia wants to be a celebrity when she grows up, so she wants to pursue music. The mother is not happy with her career choice because she fears the daughter may end up “getting lost” because of celebrity status. Olivia identifies with her idols, especially Beyoncй and Lady Gaga. Olivia prefers dressing code that is trending. She wants to remain updated on the current fashion so that she can dress accordingly. Cross & Fletcher (2009) demonstrate that body image is critical for youths because it assists them in forming their self-esteem. Olivia dresses in a way that enhances her visibility among her peers, which boosts her self-esteem. There have been many instances where Olivia has conflicted with the mother. Unfortunately, society tends to judge youths harshly for appearing to defy the norms and embracing “strange” values. Unknown to most people, the youths try to find identity, especially when their path is unclear (Klimstra & van Doeselaar, 2017).
For Jack, peer pressure has less effect on him than it was a few years ago. Jack indicates how he started smoking and drinking alcohol at the age of 16 years. He, however, quit smoking drinking six months ago. The parents and the elder siblings were instrumental in breaking the habit. While the parents disagreed with smoking and drinking, they handled him in a good way. They encouraged him to find new friends who were focused on life. The main reason for drinking was to identify with her friends, who were doing it. The failure to do so would have caused him to be excluded from their company. Now that Jack is in his second year, those friends no longer influence him.
4. Reflections
The concept of popularity and crowds has enabled me to understand how adolescents want recognition. Olivia is an example of what youth culture and crowds mean to adolescents. For her, identifying with crowds gives her a sense of belonging to the larger society. Olivia identified with pop culture, which values what is currently trending. The mother does not seem to understand Olivia and considers her a “rebel.” The mum fails to appreciate that Olivia identifies with crowds and youth culture to develop her self-esteem. The perspective of Olivia is vital in demonstrating parent-adolescent conflicts emerge and how to address them. Similarly, Emma is having challenges with her two teenagers because she does not understand what they are going through, especially after the divorce. Peer groups are proving to be a source of support for the two teenagers. One thing that has been of interest is how Jack’s parents were supportive towards their son until he quit smoking and drinking. I have learned that supportive parents can assist their children in getting out of risky behavior.

ENTRY DESCRIPTION
Entry # _2_ of 3
Section of Entry: Intimacy and Sexuality
1. Questions for this section
Concept: Sexual socialization
Are you free to discuss with your parents about sex?
How often do you talk to your children about sexual issues?
Are you aware of the dangers of unprotected sex?
Between your parents and teachers, who are freer to educate you on sex matters?
As a parent, do you shy from discussing sex matters with your children? If yes, why?
Do you think that sex education should be emphasized in schools?
Where do you get information on sex?
Concept: Parental monitoring and involvement
What parenting style do you use?
Are you okay with the parenting style of your parents?
Do you think that your parents are involved in your day-to-day activities?
Do you consider vigilant monitoring as critical in minimizing the possibility of engaging in sex for adolescents?
Have you engaged in unprotected sex?
Concept: Intimacy development
What do you understand by intimacy?
How intimate are you with your parents or adolescents?
As an adolescent, are you intimate with your parents or friends?
Has intimacy with your peers been beneficial?
How do you ensure that intimate relationships are beneficial?
2. Name and Define Concepts
Concept #1
Sexual socialization refers to introducing children and adolescents to sexual issues (Amin, 2014). Through this, young people get to understand what sex entails. They get to appreciate the importance of sex and how to avoid risky behavior like unprotected sex. Sexual socialization enables adolescents to get the proper perspective about sex and understand their body changes better. Children and adolescents face a diversity of cultural viewpoints regarding sex (Roudsari et al., 2013). When such contradictions often remain unaddressed, they have adverse effects on the perception of adolescents towards sex. Some parents and teachers are reluctant to talk about sex with children and adolescents because they fear refuting religious and cultural values.
Concept #2
Parental monitoring and involvement indicate parents’ approaches to safeguard their children and adolescents against exposure to harmful behavior (Vo, 2020). Through monitoring, parents control what happens in the lives of young people. For instance, they can discourage them from engaging in early sex. Involvement implies where parents walk with their adolescents...