A number of people who relate to us possess power to socialise us. Such people are called socialisation agents. Some of the main agents of socialisation are as follows:

(i) Parents: They have most direct and significant impact on children’s development. Children respond in different ways to parents in different situations. Parents encourage certain behaviours by rewarding them verbally (e.g., praising) or in other tangible ways (e.g., buying chocolates or objects of child’s desire). They also discourage certain behaviours through non-approving behaviours. They also arrange to put children in a variety of situations that provide them with a variety of positive experiences, learning opportunities, and challenges. The conditions of life in which parents live (such as poverty, job stress, illness, nature of family) also influence the styles they adopt in socialising children. Grand parental proximity and network of social relationships play considerable role in child socialisation directly or through parental influences.

(ii) School: School is another important socialising agent. Children learn many cognitive skills (such as reading,writing), and social skills (such as ways of behaving with elders and age males, accepting roles, fulfilling responsibilities). They also learn and internalise the norms and rules of society. Several other positive qualities, such as self-initiative, self-control, responsibility, land creativity are encouraged in schools. These qualities make children more self-reliant. A good school can altogether transform a child’s personality.

(iii) Peer groups: Friendship provides children good opportunity to be in company of others. It also provides organising various activities (e.g., play) collectively with the members of their own age. Qualities like sharing, trust, mutual understanding, role acceptance and fulfilment develop in interaction with peers. Children also learn to assert their own point of view and accept and adopt to those of others. Development of self identity is greatly facilitated by the peer group. Since communication of children with peer group is direct, process of socialisation is generally smooth.

(iv) Media influences: Today media has become a very influencial agent of socialisation. Children learn about many things from different means of media (such as television, newspapers, cinema). Adolescents and young adults often derive their models from them, particularly from television and cinema. However, there is also a negative aspect. Observing violence on television enhances aggressive behaviour among children. Thus, there is a need to use this agent of socialisation in a better way in order to prevent children from developing undesirable behaviours.