Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Author Spotlight: Understanding Adolescent Social Adversity Effects on Neurodevelopment in Mice
Published on: March 15, 2024
Schools, Peers, and Prejudice in Adolescence
Aprile D Benner1, Robert Crosnoe2, Jacquelynne S Eccles3
1Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station Stop A2702, Austin, TX 78750.
Abstract:
Adolescents' perceptions of the prejudice in their social environments can factor into their developmental outcomes. The degree to which others in the environment perceive such prejudice-regardless of adolescents' own perceptions-also matters by shedding light on the contextual climate in which adolescents spend their daily lives. Drawing on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study revealed that schoolwide perceptions of peer prejudice, which tap into the interpersonal climate of schools, appeared to be particularly risky for adolescents' academic achievement. In contrast, adolescents' own perceptions of peer prejudice at schools were associated with their feelings of alienation in school. Importantly, these patterns did not vary substantially by several markers of vulnerability to social stigmatization.
Related Concept Videos
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience

