KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: Peers and Autonomy

When it comes time to grant your children permission to do a new thing, kids are often the first to say... "Well, everybody's doing it..." but, is that really the case?  A new study from Ohio State University finds that teenagers look to their peers to figure out when and in what ways to have more freedom from their parents.  The study also reveals that teenagers consistently overestimate just how much of that freedom their friends really have.  We know peers can be powerful and that it is natural for teens to push for more control over their lives.  The Ohio State University Study found that teens use their peers to define their desired levels of personal autonomy.  They also often think their friends are getting away with more than they really are.  Researchers say some of that comes from kids who exaggerate.  Researchers concluded that its important for parents to understand that kids often rely on their own friends to gauge their requests for freedom.  The bottom line is that it makes it even more important for parents to know their kids' friends and the parents of their kids' friends and monitor what is going on with the group of friends.  On the positive side, experts say parents should also be aware that some kids make good choices because they know their friends will do the same.