Parents ask the nurse whether it is common for their school-age child to spend a lot of time with peers. The nurse should respond, explaining that the role of the peer group in the life of school-age children provides:

A) opportunity to become defiant.
B) time to remain dependent on their parents for a longer time.
C) time to establish a one-on-one relationship with the opposite sex.
D) security as they gain independence from their parents.

Peer-group identification is an important factor in gaining independence from parents. Children learn how to relate to people in positions of leadership and authority and how to explore ideas and the physical environment. Becoming defiant in a peer-group relationship may lead to bullying. Peer-group identification helps in gaining independence rather than remaining dependent. One-on-one opposite sex relationships do not occur until adolescence. School-age children form peer groups of the same sex.