Social psychology plays a strong role in the structural foundation of child development. Observing the behaviors of adolescents can show how their function and, growth is impacted by their origins. While doing an observation of The Breakfast Club, it can be seen how adolescent’s homelives can influence their actions in the classroom and around their peers. There were five students in the observation of the same age group that sat in a Saturday morning detention class. Each were all from different social groups and organizations. After viewing their interactions, the article “School-Related Experiences of Adolescents in Foster Care: A Comparison with Their High-School Peers” can be applied, and it explains that parental attachment and outside support of students and teachers is crucial in the success of child development.
The first student I observed was Bender. Bender talks back, uses vulgar language, and is destructive. Bender also likes to irritate and harass others. Bender also makes offensive jokes. For instance, when talking to Mr. Vernon he says, “Does Berry Manilow know that you raided his wardrobe?” (Hughes 1985). Bender could possibly be making jokes to escape the reality of his abusive father. With Bender’s actions, he could be considered a juvenile delinquent that is engages in less serious offenses like substance abuse (Rathus, 2017, p. 544). When he and other students talk about their parents, he mocks what goes on at his house. He was raised by an alcoholic father. Social learning theory can explain Bender’s influences and actions. Behaviors of adolescents are learned through observation and experiences. Bender acts the way he does because of how his father treats him. Relationships with the father can be associated with depression or the psychological well-being of adolescents (Rathus, 2017, p. 523).
The next adolescent that I observed was Andrew. Andrew has a similar issue with his father like Bender. While dropping Andrew off for detention his father talks about how he is risking his scholarship with his actions. Andrew feels pressured by his dad to be like he was in school and to always be a winner (Hughes, 1985). Andrew and Bender get into an argument and Andrew tells him he is nothing. This shows the stereotype different between Andrew being an athlete and Bender being a criminal. Andrew talks about bullying a kid, “I tortured this poor kid because I wanted him to think I was cool” (Hughes, 1985). This shows the construction of social dominance; although he feels bad about bullying the kid, he does it to enhance his satisfaction of being popular. “Peers provide a structure of emotional, social, and practical support in times of trouble,” and this can be an analysis to why Andrew goes and smokes marijuana to escape the pressure he feels in reality (Rathus, 2017, p. 527).
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The third teen I observed was Brian who struggles with coping. When Brian’s mother drops him off at the school, she tells him to study. His response is, “I am not supposed to study, we just have to sit there.” This shows unwillingness and lack of motivation (Hughes, 1985). Brian is socially awkward, stays quiet, and avoids conflict with the other students. Everyone sees him as the intelligent kid that makes good grades and is a perfect child. When Bender picks on Brian, he finally starts to speak up. In his relationship with his parents Brian is pressured into making good grades. However, when he receives a “F” in shop class he becomes stressed. Many parents, especially mothers, like to retain control of their child by making them do their homework and clean their room (Rathus, 2017, p. 523). Due to this control, Brian feels the need to commit suicide after disappointing his parents with a bad grade. Adolescent’s anxiety or fear of failing or making a mistake can make suicide feel like an escape from all their problems (Rathus, 2017, p. 547). Brian may see this as a solution to turn his stressful situation around. When Brian says, “I see me, and I don’t like what I see,” this explains his emotional issues and his self-view (Hughes, 1985). Brian’s self-esteem is low and this is why he feels the need to hurt himself to relieve all the pressure.
The first girl I observed was Claire. Claire is an adolescent who comes from a wealthy family and gets everything handed to her. While Claire was in the vehicle with her father, her first remark was, “It’s so absurd I have to be here on a Saturday, can’t believe you can’t get me out of this” (Hughes, 1985). This shows that she seems entitled to everything around her. She also discriminates against the other students’ groups because they are not like hers. This reveals in-group bias when she talks highly of her social group. She has to talk down on other people to make herself feel better. Claire is considered conceded because she acts in certain ways to fit in with her friends. Claire follows close in crowd attachments, this can be because her attachment diminishes when her parents get a divorce. According to the textbook “Children whose parents divorce are more likely to have conduct disorders, lower self-esteem, drug use, and poor grades” (Rathus, 2017, p. 425). This can be reflected when Claire smoke marijuana in the library with the other students.
The second girl and the final student I observed was Allison. Allison is shy and is someone who brings out different characteristics then the others. While Allison gets out of the car, she waves good-bye to her dad; however, he drives away instantly. In the detention room she sits down quietly and keeps her head down. She is considered anti-social and weird when she puts sugar on her sandwich. When she sits down in a circle with her peers, she explains how her home life is unsatisfying (Hughes, 1985). She tells them how her parents ignore her and she thinks about running away all the time because they probably wouldn’t even notice. She tries having a strong attachment for them but gets pushed away when she doesn’t receive the same attention back. She eventually opens up more to Andrew because he listens closely to her and shows that he cares.
All these individuals have similar characteristics and relate to each other, except for Mr. Vernon. Mr. Vernon singles Bender out. He eventually locks Bender in a closet and dares him to hit him so that Mr. Vernon can beat him (Hughes, 1985). He has nothing in common with the students and refuses to get to know who they really are. According to the article, “Relationships between teachers and students in care may also be influenced by the fact that many teachers lack background information on their foster care student, leading them to feel unprepared to address the challenges these youth face” (Benbenishty, 2018, p. 262). The atmosphere in which the adolescent is surrounded in can impact their sense of belonging.
Overall child development is heavily impacted on their environment and the support system they have. All of these situations can influence school performance. Benbenishty explains that, “School climate is based on patterns of people’s experiences of school life and reflects norms, goals, values, and interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures” (2018, p. 262). These are factors that are looked at in the development of children. This goes hand-in-hand with this observation over The Breakfast Club because each student has something different that expresses their overall personality and the way they do things. Adolescents backgrounds can impact their social interactions, development, and therefore it is the reason they act out in a certain way.
