Very young children do not interact meaningfully with other children. As they grow older, children form social groups which may consist of close friends or merely companions to interact and play with.
During the school age period the child’s social environment expands rapidly. The life of the child begins to centre on the school, children and the activities that are found there. Peers take a greater importance and group phenomena begins to influence child’s behaviour. Family influences lessen as the peer group takes on. According to Havighurst ‘learning to get along with age mates’ is one of the difficult and important developmental tasks of school age. The peer group begins to have a tremendous influence on the attitudes, desires and behaviour of the child, an influence that increases, as the child grows older.
School age (the phase between 6-12 years) is a transitional period, during which the social patterns and behavioural characteristics of childhood change to those that are considered typical of adolescence. First there is a strong desire to be with age mates of same sex, second, there is loyalty towards the peer group of same age, sex and with common interest. Gradually they develop hetero sexual interest. There is a change with regard to authority, expressed largely by rejection of adult standards.
Havighurst defined the peer group as an aggregation of people of approximately the same age who feel and act together.
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