Adolescent as the center of different systems:
Systems theory claims that any relationship within the whole impacts the whole. The three relationships within the family are: parent to parent, parent to adolescent and between siblings.
When it comes to bigger picture plans such as career choice and future plans, adolescents typically go to their parents for advice. However, for social issues and views on sex, relationships, dating etc. most adolescents go to their peers for advice.
The difference between peers and friends, are that peers act as a reference point for adolescents, while freinds are those that are actively chosen out based on their similarities.
Thinking about our discussion of Dionte and Sara describe two systems you may want to gather information from when working with a student you are concerned about and why each system is important.
Siblings:
If an adolescent has any siblings, usually they play a integral role in an adolescent's development. If the adolescent is in a caregiver, buddy, or rival relationship with her sibling- she would be influenced by her siblings behavious and perception of her. The relationships between siblings are subject to change at any given moment. Usually siblings are very close and thus are influenced by one another, whether that is a good thing or a bad one.
Parent:
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as they say. If a parent is acting like a rebellious tennager and not looking after her own children properly, this lack of attention is going to reflect itself upon our adolescent.