Understanding

Peer Pressure
among Young
Adolescents
Ms. Karen Anne C. Quing

What if
"Come on! All of us are cutting math.
says the coolest kid in your class.
Do you go to math class, or do you give in
and go with them?

or
Here, just try one stick of cigarette. I
assure you its good. says one of your
peers
But its not good for my health you said
Cmon, youre such a loser.
What will you do?

PEER GROUP
Peer anyone who has one or more
characteristics or roles in common with one or
more other individuals (gender, age, occupation,
social group etc.)
Group any collection of two or more people
who interact and influence one another and who
share a common purpose.

What are the features of an

adolescent peer group?

Some features of a peer

group

Its own
Its own
language
style of
Its own
expression
dress,
norms or
s, that
standards places for
people
socialising outside the
of
acceptable , taste in group may
behaviour
music,
not
sport etc. understand
.

Its
members
discuss
problems
with one
another
but not
outsiders.

WHAT IS PEER PRESSURE?

Peer pressure is the influence that people of a

similar age or status place on others to behave
in a certain way.

Pressure from ones peers to behave in a

manner similar or acceptable to them.

When others try to influence how you act, or try

to get you to do something you normally
wouldnt do then you are experiencing peer
pressure.

Things We Get Pressured Into:

Fashion Choices
Alcohol and Drug Use
Decision to have a boyfriend or
girlfriend
Choice of friends
Academic Performance
Sports
Who influences you most in these
peer pressure situations?

While some adolescent

peer groups promote and
support anti-social
behaviour, the negative
influence of the peer group
is often over-emphasised,
especially by worried
parents.
Boys report
experiencing
more pressure to
drink, engage in
sexual activity
and take drugs.

Research
Findings on
Peer Pressure

Girls generally experience

more peer pressure than
boys, especially in being
socially active, dress,
grooming and their
relationship with boys.

The age at which young

people are more likely to
be influenced by peer
pressure is between 11 &
16, peaking at 14 and
declining thereafter.

Best friends have a

much greater
influence on
adolescents than
casual friends or
cliques.

GIVING IN TO PEER PRESSURE

Have

you ever given in to peer

pressure?
How did it feel?
If you did something you really didnt
want to do, you might have felt . . .

sad
anxious
guilty
like a wimp
disappointed in yourself

WHY DO WE GIVE IN?

Why

do people sometimes do things they

really dont want to do?
Sometimes people give in because they..
are afraid of being rejected by others
dont want to be made fun of
dont know how to get out of the
situation

Who are at higher risk of

falling to peer pressure?
Low

self esteem

Lack

of confidence

Uncertainty

about ones place within a given

peer group
Feeling
Lack

isolated from peers and/or family

of direction in life

Depression
Eating
Poor

disorders

academic abilities or performance

TYPES OF
PEER
PRESSURE

SPOKEN PRESSURE
When someone says something directly
to you that puts a lot of pressure on you
and makes it hard to say no

Spoken Peer Pressure Tactics

Put

Downs
Rejection
Reasoning

Spoken Peer Pressure

Tactics (continued)
Put

Downs

Insulting

or calling a person names to make

them feel bad

Example:
Youre

Oh

such a baby. Just do it.

you are such a loser.

Calling someone stupid, idiot, moron or
wimp.

Spoken Peer Pressure

Tactics (continued)
Rejection
Threatening

to end a friendship or a

relationship
Example:
Let

me copy, or I wont be your friend

anymore.
Give me your food, or else you I will end
our friendship now.

Spoken Peer Pressure

Tactics (continued)
Reasoning
Telling

a person reasons why they should

try something or why it would be OKAY if
they did.

Example:
Come

on, it wont kill you.

Just try this skirt on, youll look good on
it.
Here, drink this beer, it will make you
forget about her.

UNSPOKEN PRESSURE
This

is something you feel without

anyone saying anything to you.

Example:
Hmmm,

everybody else got

salads and I got a burger. I
guess I will get a salad instead.

IS PEER PRESSURE GOOD OR

BAD?

Good / Positive Peer Pressure

Positive

peer pressurecan be a force

orgoodand
beneficial
change
in
a
youngster's
life.
Positive
peer
pressureoccurs when someone's peerstry
to influence her to do somethingpositiveor
uplifting or proactive or growth-building which
affects her behavior and attitude for the
better.

Examples:
Participating

in sports
Joining academic clubs
Doing volunteer work
Getting good grades
Being responsible
Going to church

How can you Benefit from

Good Peer Pressure?
You may learn something new and have a new
experience.
You can overcome a fear.
You can gain friendships, encouragement and
good advice.
You can avoid getting in trouble.

Breaking the law

Getting into trouble with your parents
Hurting your health

Bad / Negative Peer Pressure

Bad peer pressure is being talked into doing

something that you didnt want to do because
your peers said you should.

It is usually the result of wanting to become

accepted by your peers.

It can lead to trouble with the law, your parents

and your overall health.

Examples:
Vandalism
Doing

drugs
Bullying
Shoplifting
Drinking alcoholic drinks
Smoking
Cheating
Ditching school
Having premarital sex

Symptoms You Will Experience

During Bad Peer Pressure
Recognize these signs:
If you feel a bit scared, how does your
body tell you?
Your

legs feel shaky.

Your mouth feels dry.
Your tummy feels full of 'butterflies' or your
feel sick.
Your heart beats faster.

Steps that you can follow when

confronted with peer pressure:

Ask Questions
Why would we do that ?, Whose idea was this ?, Is this a smart thing to
do ?

Identify the negative behavior or action

Calling her names is just going to start trouble, dont think smoking
is a good idea, It is against school policy to leave the grounds.

Evaluate the consequences

We will get in trouble, Smoking is not healthy, My parents will take

away my allowance

Suggest an alternative
Why dont we go to the store after school is over

Leave the situation

If all else fails, remove yourself from the situation. Walk away and do
something else

Resistance Skills
Resistance

skills are skills that help a

person say no to an action or to leave
a situation.

How to resist a peer pressure:

The

key to dealing with negative peer

pressure is self confidence.
Be yourself, make your own
decisions, regardless of
what others think.

How to resist a peer pressure:

Say no with self-confidence

Look directly at the person to whom you are speaking.

Say no in a firm voice. Be confident because you are
being responsible. Be proud because you are obeying
laws and respecting
family guidelines.

No, that stuff can make you sick.

Um, no, I dont

think I can. Iumah
you know.

How to resist a peer pressure:

Give

reasons for saying no

I dont want to betray the trust of my

parents
or guardian.

I dont want to say something I will regret later.

I dont want to break the law and get arrested.
I dont want to be suspended from school.
I want to be a role model for my younger
siblings.

How to resist a peer pressure:

Use

the broken-record technique.

Repeat the same response several times to

convince the person pressuring you that you
will not change your mind.

How to resist a peer pressure:

Use nonverbal behavior to match verbal

behavior.

What you do and say should be consistent.

How to resist a peer pressure:

Surround

yourself with people who

have similar values as you.

Responding to Bad Peer

Pressure
Dont

be afraid to ask for help!

If you are in an awkward peer pressure

situation seek help from a family member,
teacher, health care professional or
someone you feel comfortable talking to.

Food for thought:

Never let anyone try and make you turn into
someone that you are not. Remember what it
is that you want, and always stay strong in
that.
Abegail Breslin