Research has been carried out extensively by various scholars regarding how peers influence and determine the decisions that are made by many people. Even though most people tend to think that peer influence is only applicable to teenagers and young adults, the effects of peer pressure are also visible among people of old age. Peers can influence the choices of others with regards to whether or not to engage in criminal behavior, use drugs, and adopt a new technology or behavior (Farrell, Thompson, & Mehari, 2016). From the examples provided above, it is evident that peers can influence a person’s decisions passively or actively. Most of the research that has been carried out on peer pressure has majorly focused on its passive effects. The passive effects of peer pressure involve an individual adopting a different behavior that belongs to others. The effects of peer pressure, especially in adolescents is also determined by various factors such as the relationship that they have with their parents, the type of upbringing that they had, and the type of environment in which they live in (Webb et al., 2017). This paper is therefore aimed at having an in-depth discussion on peer pressure in group settings among adolescents, its effects, as well as the measures that can be used to counter the negative effects of peer pressure.
Kiran-Esen defines peer pressure as the need or the desire that a person has about doing the same things that are done by those in their age group to fit in or be accepted by the group. Peer pressure influences people to do what they would not have done had it not been for the influence of others (2012). Even though most people tend to think of peer pressure in a negative light, it can also be positive. For example, a teenager can be positively inspired by their age mates to focus on their studies and improve their grades. Examples of peer pressure include when teenagers choose the same type of clothes, listen to the same genre of music, change the way they communicate, or engage in the use of drug and substances (Webb et al., 2017). When parents note that their kids are negatively affected by their peers, they need to step in and apply corrective measures which will enable the kids to return to their true selves and adopt positive behavior instead.
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According to Farrell, Thompson, and Mehari (2016), there are various risk factors for peer pressure. One of the factors that may make an individual easily influenced by others is low self-esteem. When teenagers have low self-esteem, they are easily influenced into participating in various activities to prove their worth and be accepted by members of their age group. A study carried out by Kiran-Esen on drug use among teenagers found out that most of the teenagers who engage in alcohol and substance abuse have low opinions about themselves and they feel that by indulging in bad behavior, the project a ‘tough guy’ image to their peers (2012). Another factor that makes many people easily influenced by others is uncertainties about a person’s position within a specific peer group. When adolescents do not know their position within a particular peer group, they will most likely lack the sense of what they are supposed to do and instead be swayed to copy what the other members of the group are doing (Goldstein, 2015). Parents also play a significant role in how their children respond to peer pressure. Parents who sure their adolescent children of self-worth and give them the attention and affection that they need prevents them from the negative influence of their peers. However, in cases where the parents are rarely present in the life of their kids, the kids tend to turn to their peers to get the attention that they are denied at home (Hoorn, Crone, & Leijenhorst , 2016). The identification of the risk factors to peer pressure is of great importance since it may help in combatting the negative side effects of peer pressure.
Peer pressure can have adverse effects on the lives of adolescents if they are not informed on how to identify and deal with negative peer influence. Hoorn, Crone, and Leijenhorst observe that most of the behaviors that are picked up during teenagehood as a result of peer pressure tend to stick with a person to advanced age. It is therefore essential for adolescents, parents, and other stakeholders to identify the various ways of combatting negative peer influence (2016). Teenagers themselves, play an important role in handling peer pressure. One of the most critical steps in the handling the effects of peer pressure is the ability of the adolescents to know their self-worth and their standing on various key issues such as drug and substance abuse and sex. Being aware of their worth makes teenagers confident about themselves, and they might not need the approval or acceptance of other teenagers within the group (Webb et al., 2017). Parents must also be involved in their children’s lives to advise them on the right or wrong peer group to be associated with. Hoorn, Crone, and Leijenhorst (2016) advise that one of the most effective ways of dealing with peer pressure is by selecting the peer groups that can positively inspire and avoiding the groups that negatively affect the behaviors of teenagers. An adolescent can also avoid the effects of peer pressure by being comfortable with the choices that they make. Being confident makes it difficult for the teenagers to give in to the demands of their peers thus making them able to avoid negative peer pressure. Parents, as well as adolescents, can use the above measures to ensure that they avoid the negative influence that arises from peer pressure.
In summation, many factors result in peer pressure, and there are also different solutions to negative peer influence. Peers can influence the choices of others concerning whether or not to engage in criminal behavior, use drugs, and adopt a new technology or behavior. Peer pressure is defined as the need or the desire that a person has about doing the same things that are done by those in their age group to fit in or be accepted by the group. There are various risk factors for peer pressure. One of the factors that may make an individual easily influenced by others is low self-esteem. When teenagers have low self-esteem, they are easily influenced into participating in various activities to prove their worth and be accepted by members of their age group. There are also several measures that can be used to combat negative peer pressure among adults, for example, the ability of the adolescents to know their self-worth and their standings on various key issues such as drug and substance abuse and sex.
References
Farrell, A. D., Thompson, E. L., & Mehari, K. R. (2016). Dimensions of Peer Influences and Their Relationship to Adolescents' Aggression, Other Problem Behaviors, and Prosocial Behavior. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46 (6), 1351-1369. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
Goldstein, S. E. (2015). Adolescents’ Disclosure and Secrecy about Peer Behavior: Links with Cyber Aggression, Relational Aggression, and Overt Aggression. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25 (5), 1430-1440. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
Hoorn, J. V., Crone, E. A., & Leijenhorst, L. V. (2016). Hanging Out With the Right Crowd: Peer Influence on Risk-Taking Behavior in Adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 27 (1), 189-200. Retrieved April 5, 2019
Kiran-Esen, B. (2012). Analyzing Peer Pressure and Self-Efficacy Expectations among Adolescents. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 40 (8), 1301- 1309. Retrieved April 5, 2019
Webb, H. J., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Waters, A. M., Farrell, L. J., Nesdale, D., & Downey, G. (2017). “Pretty Pressure” From Peers, Parents, and the Media: A Longitudinal Study of Appearance-Based Rejection Sensitivity. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 27 (4), 718-735.
