Peer pressure is when “friends” persuade teens to doing something that they do not want to do. But maybe they want to do it, and the teen just doesn’t has the courage to do it and the friend talks the teen into it (“Peer pressure”). Peer pressure can cause teens to do drugs skip school and disobey the law.
Peer pressure exists for all ages the level of peer influence generally increases as children grow, and resistance to peer influence often declines as children gain dependence from the family or caregivers, and before they fully form an adult identity. Teens are most aware of peer pressure as stated in the article “Peer Pressure the Good the Bad.”
Pre teens and teenagers face many issues related to conformity and peer pressure. They with are pulled between the desire to be seen as individuals of unique value and the desire to belong to a group where they feel secure and excepted. (“Peer Pressure”).
When it comes to smoking kids are clearly influenced by what their friends do. In fact on study has found that if a child smokes they are nine times more likely to try to smoke than if their friends are non smoker. Another study Showed that 11-17 year old boys how many of their friends smoke. Of those who said all or most of their friends smoke, 44% smoke as well. This study also finds that positive peer pressure influence is closely tied to not smoking 99% of kids who said that none of their friend’s smoked doesn’t smoke either (“Peer Pressure or Smoking”).
One of the major problems with peer pressure occurs when teens get sucked into something that you really don’t want to do and subsequently become addicted to it. Usually people get backed onto situations to try to illegal drugs alcohol and cigarettes and more times than not these behaviors can become habit forming (“Peer Pressure the Good the Bad”).
Peer pressure can be broken down into two areas good and bad; bad is when teens do something they didn’t want to do but they did because friends said they should. Friends have a tendency to think that what they know is what is best for them and the friends are always offering their opinion whether the child wants it or not (“Peer Pressure the Good the Bad”).
Peer pressure can lead to a lot of things like experimentation with drugs, alcohol, sex, skipping school, and other various high risk behaviors. Teens with few boundaries or rules at home are far more susceptible to peer pressure than those with firm expectations and strict rules (“Peer Pressure and Smoking”).
“Peer pressure is one reason why adolescents are at much greater risk than adults for starting to smoke. It’s also why it’s so important for parents to take an active and repeated stand against smoking” says Kutner (3).Parents know their children best. But sometimes we all need guidance on when and how to talk about tough topics (Kutner).
In study after study, peer pressure is associated in adolescents of all ethnic and racial background with at-risk behavior such as cigarette smoking, truancy, drug use, sexual activity, fighting, shoplifting, and dare devil stunts. Again, peer group values and attitudes influence the level of teenage alcohol use more strongly than do family values. The more accepting peers are too risky behavior and the more they participate in that behavior, the more likely a person is to do the same thing (“Peer Pressure”).
Many programs exist to help students resist peer pressure. One of the best known way is the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program used in school to help students to resist the pressures to use drugs and alcohol. This and similar programs offer strategies for coping with unwanted pressure to become involved in activities that are risky, illegal, or self destructive (“Peer Pressure”).
This is why adults/parents need to help these teens to know how to avoid the distractions and the pressure from their peers to commit crimes and do drugs. It needs to stop immediately so it can stop ruining teen’s lives because some teens have a future, and peers are stopping them from overcoming their dreams.