Peer Influence, Social Norms, and the Dynamics of Adolescent Peer Conflict

• In Event: Children and Youth Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 6: Peer Dynamics, Activism, and Resilience

Abstract

This study addresses three questions. First, does social influence from friends exert a stronger impact on adolescent conflict involvement than conflict norm perceptions do? Second, do adolescents project their own approval of conflict onto conflict norm perceptions? Third, do conflict involvement and victimization influence adolescent conflict norm perceptions over time? Utilizing cross-lagged structural equation models with two waves of data from 56 middle schools in New Jersey, the results show that first, friends’ conflict involvement predicts greater subsequent conflict involvement for girls but not for boys. Second, students assume their own approval of conflict is more widely shared by peers. Third, victims and boys who engage in conflict perceive conflict as more common and socially accepted. These findings show that friends can directly increase girls’ conflict involvement, and that conflict involvement can lead adolescents to see conflict as more common and socially acceptable, potentially reinforcing further conflict.

Author

• Chang-Yi Lin, University of South Carolina-Columbia