Regardless of family form, there is a universal belief that one's family is the most powerful agent of socialization. A sample of 38 junior high school students from single parent and nuclear families completed a questionnaire in order to examine the relative effects of peer influence and family influence in single parent and nuclear families. Results showed that children from both nuclear and single parent families are more influenced by parents than by peers. The findings indicate that regardless of the emotional upheaval of divorce parental influence in single parent and nuclear families is similar. Further research is needed to investigate changing parental influence immediately following divorce, since it is possible that there is less parental influence during the 2-year peak period after divorce and that influence is restored as time passes. (JAC)