During the conference yesterday, I started to rethink about my oldest argument, which is about how sone adolescents being unpopular in school can change them into anti-social individuals. And the conference, I have to admit, was really helpful and I got some resources on this topic as well. So my oldest argument becomes my final theme for this paper.Now I am excited to do this paper.
I just started the research for the theme in class today and I found some articles about it. The one I looked at was called Peer Group Membership and a Sence of Belonging: Their Relationship to Adolescent Behavioral Problems. According to B. Newman, B. Lohman, and P. Newman, “In comparison to aggressive youths, who often find a friendship group, withdrawn-rejected youths have the greatest difficulty find supportive friendships and the greatest likelihood of being victimized by peers.” (Page 2) This one of the conclusion from a study on behavior problems within adolescent peer groups. It basically says that the outsiders or the unpopular adolescents have more difficulties and less chance to get accepted into a peer group. These outsiders are not well-liked by other peers and often times they compromise and join smaller groups made up by other outsiders.
Just one thing I found interesting about this quote is that the “insiders” or the popular kids are described as “aggressive” by the authors. And they are pictured as the ones that bully the outsiders. This is exactly the opposite of my argument. My point of view is that the outsiders become the trouble-makers and turn to oppose the society. But the authors said later that “lack of a sense of peer group belonging places adolescents at greater risk for both internalizing and externalizing problems than does peer group membership.” (B. Newman, B. Lohman, and P. Newman, Page 3)
Bibliography:
Barbara M. Newman, Brenda J. Lohman, and Philip R. Newman. “Peer Group Membership and a Sence of Belonging: Their Relationship to Adolescent Behavioral Problems.” Adolescence, Summer , 2007. Google. 28 Jan. 2011.
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