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In what University of Maryland researchers are calling an investigation into “the group dynamics of childhood,” a new study reports that peer group influences affect children beginning in the elementary school years.
The research, published in a recent issue of Child Development, says that peer pressure is not just an adolescent issue, but begins in elementary schools as early as age nine.
University of Maryland developmental psychologist Melanie Killen, the study’s lead researcher, says that children begin to understand the costs and consequences of resisting peer group pressure early.
“Overall, these findings show that with age, children can apply their understanding of fairness to social groups, and recognize what makes group dynamics complex,” according to the study researchers. “They know that groups might not like it, but there may be times when standing up to the group is the right thing to do.”
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