Sanya Goel 
When a child is born, the first socializing agent that a child comes across is parents. Parents are responsible for the overall development of the child. They shape the child’s perceptions, thoughts, beliefs, values and understanding of the world. Parents with their love and affection builds a trust in the child that the world is a safe and lovable place to live in. They are the role models of the child and the children learn several things just by observing their parents, such as respecting others, how to do daily chores, new words, gratitude etc.
But when the child grows further, the peers become a major influence in the child’s life. The child starts to feel more comfortable with the peers and think they are more reliable and relatable as they are in the similar phase of life and are going through similar situations such as – attraction with opposite sex, peer pressure, rejection etc. They start developing more trust in their peers than their parents.
But a friend can either make or break your child. A bad peer group influence can indulge your child in some concerning activities such as:
- Delinquent behaviors such as vandalism, theft, running away from home etc
- Substance abuse such as drugs, alcohol, smoking etc.
- Criminal offenses such as drink and driving, sexual assault etc.
There arises a need to become a best friend of your child and get open to your child as a well-wisher and a buddy.
