Peer Pressure

What is Peer Pressure?

Peers are those who are similar and of the same age group Effect that a group of friends can exert on one another A spontaneous force on an individual, esp. teenagers in their adolescence Peer pressure is not necessarily a bad thing

Why are teenagers so easily influenced by peers?

Want to fit into the group Do not feel themselves being isolated or insignificant Do not want to be the outcast in the group Try to find their own identities Not mature enough to identify between right and wrong

Negative Effects of Peer Pressure on teenagers

Drug Abuse
Definition: Excessive use of a drug or use of a drug for purposes for which it was not medically intended Causes: Emotional distress, anxiety, depression, environmental stress and peer pressure Consequence: -- Drug abuse can lead to drug dependence or addiction. -- Drug dependence may also follow the use of drugs for physical pain relief, though this is rare in people without a previous history of addiction.

 Peer pressure may lead to drug abuse. At least half of those who go on to addiction have depression, attention-deficit disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder or another psychological problem.

Effects of drug abuse on teenagers

A change in the teenagers friends, a new group Seclusive behavior Long unexplained periods away from home Lying Stealing Involvement with the law Deteriorating family relations Obvious intoxication (e.g., drunk) , hysterical, irrational, or unconscious Distinct changes in behavior and normal attitude Decreased school performance

Discussion
Read the news article on teenage drug abuse. Discuss the reasons why teenagers take drugs. Suggest how teenagers can refuse drug abuse despites peer pressure. Time allowed: 15mins

Teens 'fake drug-use to fit in'

Teenagers are pretending to take drugs to look "cool", research has shown.

 A report for drugs helpline Frank, said youngsters in the South East were more prone to talking up their behaviour. Figures showed that 20% of teenagers questioned said their friends were pressured into faking drug-taking in order to fit in with their peers. The report which questioned more than 1,000 11 to 18-year-olds across the UK, also said boys were twice as likely as girls to pretend they took drugs.

 Almost half the youngsters questioned said the need to fit in with their group dictated their friends' behaviour. Dr Peter Marsh, director of the Social Issues Research Centre and author of the report, said: "Teenagers today learn to understand who they are by defining themselves through social bonds and affiliations with a peer group.

 "As they make the hormone-laden journey from child to adult, they forge a personal identity by first creating a social identity. "Music tastes and appearance are the obvious ways to define oneself, but the ways in which young people talk about themselves to their peers also helps them to create a sense of self.

'No fashion statement'

"To be an individual, we first need to be one of the lads or lasses." Darren Hall, spokesman for Frank, said it was encouraging that while young people talked about drug-taking, that they were not necessarily experimenting with drugs themselves. He said: "It's important to get the facts about drugs rather than relying on hearsay or urban myths. "Drugs can be dangerous and taking them is not a fashion statement."

8 ways to say NO to Drugs

SAYING NO THANKS GIVING A REASON OR EXCUSE BROKEN RECORD WALK AWAY CHANGE THE SUBJECT AVOID THE SITUATION COLD SHOULDER STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Smoking
Every single day nearly 4,400 kids between the ages 12 and 17 start smoking Reasons: Curious, rebellious and peer pressure

Preventing teenage smoking, alcohol and drug abuse

Almost 25% of 12-17 year olds and up to 50% of 18-25 year olds have used drugs Children who use drugs are more likely to practice have low self esteem, behavior problems, school performance problems, and depression

 Many adolescents practice risk taking behaviors as they are trying to find their own identity and become more independent Communication is essential!!! Teenagers whose parents talk to them regularly are at much less risk for experimenting with cigarettes, drinking and drugs Children are much more likely to smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs if they are exposed to a parents or other close family members who does too

Bullying
Definition: An imbalance of strength physical or psychological A deliberate intention to hurt the other where the aggressive act is largely unprovoked and Repeated negative actions against the individual

Four types of bullying

Being called names Being picked on by other kids Being hit and pushed around by other kids Being made fun of

Reasons:
Peer Pressure To show that they are in the same group by bullying others together Fear that if they do not join their peers in bullying, they will be the next target

Solutions:
Tell your parents, teachers, social workers or reliable and mature friends Report to them the bullying case you see Choose your friends wisely

Susceptibility to negative peer pressure

Why are some teenagers more likely to

succumb to peer pressure of a negative kind ?

Stage 1: begins with maladaptive parent-child interactions that are likely to result in anti-social behaviors, this has flow-on effects for school performances, this is also likely to lead to rejection by peers. Stage2: failure in school, individual also does not succeed with the peer group. Stage3: the failing, disliked and anti-social child selects those social settings that maximise social reinforcement, this appears to be exacerbated in those schools that stream adolescents o the basis of academic performance.

Positive Effects of Peer Pressure on teenagers

Introduction
What is "positive" peer pressure?

to conform to the expected norms of teens to conform to positive social expectations > to act out

Case Study
A group of teens are wandering around a mall when one of the groups suggests them to shoplift. A few kids agree but most of them think that the idea is stupid. At the end the group decides to do something else.

reject the wishes of one of its members obey the social norm obey the law majority : 1) not to steal 2) exerted peer pressure to others In this case peer pressure becomes positive stopped them from doing something that is illegal stopped them from doing something that is not accepted by society as a whole.

In fact, peer influence is: essential to proper social development how we learn acceptable social norms

how we are expected to act in the world in order

to be good people
However, we have to learn to tell the difference between: with self-conscience blindly

Positive peer pressure

Good
act in a generally appropriate way do the right thing do more good than harm does not cause you to act without consideration

Then, peer pressure is not a bad thing

Examples of positive peer pressure

pressure to follow school or activity group rules. pressure to respect the property of others. pressure to not drink and drive. pressure to join a service group. pressure to get into college. pressure to stay quiet during exams, pressure to show up at school, pressure to obey laws, etc.

Positive effect on learning

Example: Test Writing many rules lots of pressure not easy for everyone: - do better than others
- try to cheat - not care about the test

testing situations go smoothly due to peer pressure cause people to "tow the line"

Positive Effect on healthy activities

Peers (including schools and teachers) encourage teenagers to involve in: - sports activities - extra-curriculum activities help to engage in healthier activities

How to deal with peer pressure properly?

Teachers efforts:
exert peer pressure model positive behaviors count on peer pressure to keep unruly kids in line nurture abilities and self-esteem - self-concept - self-worth

Parents efforts:
Be interested Confront problems Set boundaries Set rules Handle the conflicts Take a proactive approach to potentially serious problems and involve teenager help teenager evaluate each friendship

Teenagers efforts:
learn to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate behaviors Remember! Most teenagers could care less whether you give in or not politely refuse resist the urge to preach do not put yourself at risk by refusing do not make a scene do not care how others think

Societys efforts:
Empower parents, youth organizations and educators Encourage cross-ethnic and "cross-class" peer interactions guide teenagers in dealing positively with cultural diversity and individual differences Place sensible restraints on part-time teen employment Support parent education programs for families with teenagers Establish intervention programs

The End