Adolescent teenagers are greatly affected by peer pressure, which has a stronger influence on them than any other factor. This is because teens spend more time with their peers rather than family members, making direct interaction more powerful than guidance from teachers and authority figures. Teenagers with low self-esteem are especially vulnerable to peer pressure and may sacrifice their own values to be accepted by the group.
Peer pressure can lead to engagement in high-risk behaviors, including drug and alcohol use, sexual activities, skipping school, and other risky actions. If a child’s appearance, clothing, and attitude quickly change along with secretive behavior, it is likely that they are being influenced by their peers. This is particularly true if there is a sudden change in their main group of friends. A sudden shift in the type of people they associate with indicates vulnerability to new influences that may not be advantageous.
Parents who spend less time with their children than their peers can still have influence on their teens. They can do this by setting clear behavior expectations, establishing rules for communication and socializing, and determining consequences for lying or not following the rules. By effectively communicating their expectations, parents ensure that adolescents cannot use ignorance as an excuse. Dealing with the situation where a teenager chooses to associate with a negative peer group can be especially challenging.
Parents frequently struggle with managing challenging behavior in their teenagers and may feel frustrated when they restrict certain activities. However, by establishing guidelines for communicating whereabouts, parents can diminish the impact of peer groups. If a specific peer group is negatively impacting the child, it is crucial to address the underlying reasons behind why the teenager is being swayed in that direction. These reasons could stem from low self-esteem or a lack of confidence, leading them to believe that conforming to any group, even if harmful, is essential.
Preventing parents from accessing peer groups does not allow them to modify their teen’s attitude. To facilitate a transformation, addressing the underlying issues that contribute to this attitude is essential. Teenagers are attracted to certain groups because they fulfill specific needs. If they choose an unsuitable group, there is an inherent problem that necessitates therapeutic intervention before any substantial change can take place. Among adolescents, alcohol consumption is prevalent as it provides an outlet from reality.
The stress individuals experience is less overwhelming when they are intoxicated. Alcohol consumption is an addictive behavior that not only impacts the drinker but also those around them. It is a significant contributor to teenage accidents, violence, and disinterest in activities. Moreover, drinking has negative health implications such as liver damage, failure, incoherent behaviors, and mental/emotional harm. On the other hand, smoking is a prevalent form of peer pressure and its effects are a lifelong habit that greatly harms one’s health.
Despite the perception that smoking cigarettes is a sign of maturity among teenagers, it has various negative effects. Peer pressure plays a role in the widespread use of drugs, which can provide relaxation to teenagers. Different drugs have different short-term and long-term effects. For example, marijuana is known for its calming properties but may result in weight gain. Stronger drugs like cocaine and crystal meth can increase energy levels but also lead to severe harm such as tooth loss, weakened bones, and impaired bodily and brain functions. These substances can even cause hair loss or discoloration, bad breath, and wrinkles. Ultimately, all these substances impact cognitive abilities and more. Additionally, many teens feel pressured by their more experienced peers to engage in sexual activities to avoid being the only inexperienced ones; however, early sexual activity often causes emotional damage for many teenagers.
Therefore, it is important to explain and emphasize the significance of abstinence. It can also be beneficial to provide statistics on the diseases associated with sexual activity. Due to the overwhelming stress faced by teenagers, if they lack proper coping mechanisms, they are more likely to resort to alternative methods of stress relief. This is why they engage in behaviors like substance abuse or risky activities with their peers. The choice of such habits does not solely come from a desire to appear cool or mature but rather from a perceived necessity. Hence, in order to protect adolescents from the negative effects of peer pressure, it is crucial to equip them with positive self-esteem, unconditional love and acceptance, and knowledge.
From the ages of twelve to nineteen, teenagers experience a crucial stage in their lives that greatly impacts their future adulthood. This phase, known as the “formative years”, has been extensively researched to comprehend why adolescents are highly influenced by peer pressure. The alarming prevalence of drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, alcohol misuse, and youth suicide further highlights the need for research in this field. It is plausible that the emphasis on establishing friendships during childhood contributes to this susceptibility.
Adolescents may refrain from seeking assistance from their parents or teachers, possibly as a result of the childhood pressures they encountered. Their actions can be linked to their home or school surroundings. Consequently, family and school environments occasionally contribute to teenagers yielding to peer pressure due to an excessive focus on fitting in socially, inadequate parental and teacher involvement, and unrealistic expectations imposed by these figures.
Although the primary goal of attending school is to gain an education, it also offers children the chance to establish new friendships. While some contend that social interaction is crucial, there are instances in which parents may place too much emphasis on its significance. The classroom functions as both a place for learning and an essential environment for socialization, impacting the emotional welfare of children. In general, teachers foster social participation by assigning collaborative tasks to be completed in pairs or groups.
Furthermore, teachers encourage children to engage with their peers while engaging in solitary play, regardless of the child’s preference for being alone. This helps them develop an understanding of the importance of social interaction from a young age, which continues into adolescence. Consequently, teenagers develop a deep appreciation for their friendships and may even prioritize them over their relationships with family members.
According to Csikszentmihalyi (p. 145), adolescents are more susceptible to peer pressure due to their fear of losing friendships and difficulty in saying no to their peers. Additionally, the lack of interest or communication from parents and teachers also contributes to this vulnerability. The author explains that conflicting schedules between parents and children in modern life result in minimal shared activities outside of mealtimes, leaving adolescents spending most of their time with peers and thus being strongly influenced by them (Csikszentmihalyi, p. 71). Therefore, it is crucial for teachers to assume a parental role in the classroom, providing guidance and support to students.
However, the lack of interest in this setting is not only due to a lack of communication between students and teachers. It is also affected by the high student-to-teacher ratio in the classroom, which hampers the teacher’s ability to establish genuine personal connections with each student. Consequently, adolescents turn to their friends as role models for guidance since there are limited adults available to provide criticism. Adolescence is an important phase characterized by physical growth, self-discovery, and social adaptation (Vega, p.4). As a result, both families and schools often place unrealistic expectations on adolescents, leading to rebellion and conformity to peer pressure. Conflicts arise within the home environment due to contrasting goals between parents and adolescents. Davis argues that these conflicts stem from the inevitable clash between adult realism and youthful idealism within families (Csikszentmihalyi, p.131). Parents sometimes overlook the fact that their children have less life experience compared to them, resulting in differing perspectives. The school system also contributes by imposing impractical objectives on adolescents who prioritize instant gratification over long-term accomplishments.Educators’ goals often conflict with those of individuals who fail to recognize the long-term benefits of a quality education.
It is inevitable for teenagers to defy unrealistic expectations and yield to peer pressure in order to assert their independence. Some argue that the accountability for teenagers’ actions lies with themselves, rather than with parents or teachers. Despite efforts to understand and establish a bond with adolescents, they possess individual thoughts and willingly surrender to the influence of their peers.
However, it is essential for society to maintain support for teenagers as they go through the difficult transition from adolescence to adulthood. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to emphasize the importance of friendships and help teenagers understand the boundaries within these relationships. By understanding that social interaction is valuable but has its limits, adolescents will develop the ability to confidently decline their friends’ requests.
Similarly, improved communication between parents and teachers could encourage adolescents to express their emotions to them rather than relying heavily on their peers for feedback. Additionally, if parents and teachers recognized the unrealistic expectations they have for teenagers, it would lead to reduced conflict and a decrease in the number of adolescents feeling compelled to conform to peer pressure as a form of rebellion.
To summarize, analyzing the influence of family and school on adolescents’ susceptibility to peer pressure reveals the root causes. The ultimate outcome of this analysis is that adolescents develop a healthier understanding of friendships, gain an alternative support system apart from peers, and are relieved from unrealistic expectations they may not comprehend. Most importantly, they become more resilient against peer pressure.
Works Cited
- Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly and Reed Larson. Being Adolescent: Conflict and Growth in the Teenage Years. Basic Books, Inc. 1984.
- New York Juvonen, Jaana and Kathryn R. Wentzel. Social Motivation: Understanding Children’s School Adjustment. Cambridge University Press. 1996.
- Cambridge Vega, William A. and Andres G. Gil. Drug Use and Ethnicity in Early Adolescence. Plenum Press. 1998. New York
