"Be yourself, not your idea of what you think somebody else's idea of yourself should be." -- Hussein Nishah
Today, peer group pressure is a major problem for teens, caused by influences imposed by others in the and their wanting to fit into certain groups. Society labeled the more negative peer groups as gangs or cults. Teens in such groups feel they receive prestige from the association. However, not all peer group pressure is a negative influence, such as academic and athletic achievement (Castrogiovanni, 2002).
Studies show that most teens/adolescents feel that being in a group gives them popularity with their peers. The average teen feels pressure either from the school, peers, or parents; thus enticing the need to belong to groups. They often become involved in violence, use of alcohol or drugs, and sex.
Studies show also that high school students spend more time with their peers than with parents or other influential adults. Teens who acquire delinquent friends lock themselves away from good or straight kids and opt to belong to their own kind.
In today’s society, most families are headed by single parents, more than likely mothers, who work extra jobs. The single parent spends little time with their teens, thereby leaving them prey to peer group pressure. Research indicates that peer group pressure leads to delinquent behavior among teenagers, including criminal acts such as motor vehicle theft, burglary, and robbery. Poor school perf...
Adolescence and high school years are marked by the development of identity, relationships, and societal roles. It is during this time that adolescents begin to place a significant amount of importance to whether they belong or not, their physical appearance, and friendships. During this time, everyone experiences being labeled or classified into a category that more than likely, they do not belong to. This is because society tends to place people in groups according to hobbies, personality traits, and common interests. In most cases, stereotypes motivate this kind of behavior. For example, there is a saying that says, “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.” In other words, your companions say a lot about who you are as an individual. These assumptions are what
Correspondingly, these poor urban neighborhoods can lead to less effective parenting due to the stress and struggles they are facing, which may cause adolescents to develop delinquent behaviors. Due to the high crime rates in such neighborhood, adolescents are more likely to be exposed to deviant peer groups and gang behaviors, and these may result in a stronger deviant peer effect on the adolescents. (Deutsch, 2012)
As a teenager we are all looking to be accepted by our peers and will do whatever it is they want us to so we can be accepted. That is to say the feeling of needing to be accepted by ones peers is done consciously; the person starts to do what their friends do without thinking about it. (Teen 3) In fact, teens are more likely to be affected by peer pressure because they are trying to figure out who they are. (How 1) Therefore, they see themselves as how their peers would view them so they change to fit their peer’s expectations. (How 1) Secondly, the feeling of needing to rebel and be someone that isn’t who their parents are trying to make them be affects them. (Teen 2) Thus, parents are relied on less and teens are more likely to go to their peers about their problems and what choices to make. (How 1) Also, their brains are not fully matured and teens are less likely to think through their choices thoroughly before doing it. (Teen 6) Lastly, how a child is treated by his peers can affect how they treat others; this can lead them into bullying others who are different. (Teen 3) Consequently this can affect a teen into doing something good or bad; it depends who you surround yourself with.
"Parents and teachers often miss children's nascent understanding of group dynamics, as well as kids' willingness to buck to the pressure," Killen explains. Children begin to figure out the costs and consequences of resisting peer group pressure early. By adolescence, they find it only gets more complicated."
Social influence/peer groups were one of the dominant themes in my observations, survey, and literature. Social influence looks at how individual thoughts, actions and feelings are influenced by social groups (Aronson, 2010).The desire to be accepted and liked by others can lead to dangerous behavior. College life can be an overwhelming experience for first time college students and or transfer students as they struggle to manage class time and social activities in an attempt to fit-in in the new environment that they may not be used to. Students can experience too much anxiety and drop out of college or fall behind classes. Working at the Cambell Student Union information Center, I observed a great deal of students falling into this trap of social influence and peer pressure. A female student tripped as she was going up the stairs to Spot Coffee but did not fall. What appears to be a group of guys who are not popular (guys who are not very well known), were seating where popular students normally seat. The group of guys started laughing at the girl and stopped. One guy kept laughing, but it was obvious he was forcing the laughter as to purposely attract attention. He started making jokes about the girl and carrying on the laughter so he would appear to be funny. Another example, which portrays peer influence, involves parties over the weekend. Multiple students stated they were falling behind in classes on the grounds of their friends wanted to go out the night before and they did not want to seem/appear “lame” so they tagged along. The influence of a group is intensified by the person’s desire to be an accepted member of the peer group. To achieve this desire he tries to conform in everyday to the patterns approved by the grou...
... instead of following the majority. The issue of peer pressure can relate to teens, as they are in constant pressure to be ‘cool’ or to be in the ‘in’ group. It does not really promote individualism, so people cannot develop their own ideas but rather follow the leader of their group.
Adolescence is, for the most part, about fitting in. Most everybody wants friends and wants to feel like they are a part of a social group. Young childhoods are spent meeting new people and making friends that share your common interests. However, in the teenage years, it gets a lot more complicated. Some people will start to leave their old friends for newer, “cooler” ones, and start to wear new clothing to make themselves popular. Everyone wants to fit in, and some people will make more of an effort to do so than others. In middle school specifically, cliques and social groups start forming. This is the time when teens and pre-teens figure out who they are and start to fit in with their friends.
Teenagers become caught up with following peers, because the decision is made to become involved in experimental activities by choice. On the other hand, peer pressure in teens can allow mature growth in the student, because the individual can them become a leader within an environment in a positive manner. According to kidshealth.org, “Getting to know lots of different people-
Nowadays, education in the United States is a mandatory obligation for children until a certain age. This requirement forces youth to maintain a state of “adolescenthood” for a longer period of time. For that matter, teens may rely on help from one another rather than older role models. This idea takes us back to peer groups and peer pressure. Secondly, dropping out of school has also been linked to delinquent behavior although it is not entirely proven. Some studies have linked dropouts to antisocial behavior as well as having a history of poor performance in school. These factors along with other emotional and psychological issues seem suggest a correlation between delinquent behavior and schooling. Finally, bullying in schools, which stats show occurs in 25% of public schools across the nation, is a major precipitating factor. A survey showed that 10% admitted to carrying a weapon at least once to their school. A high percentage of these bullies live in poverty stricken neighborhoods with high unemployment rates. This idea corresponds with the effects of family on their children along with their environmental
Consistently, teenagers are under the influence of both parents and peers. It is a standout amongst the most widely recognized issues among adolescents which needs to arrive at an end as it has various
... demonstrate criminal behaviour when they do not have similar resources as their peers (Reading Craze, 2013). According to McCord (2001), “factors such as peer delinquent behaviour, peer approval of delinquent behaviour, attachment to peers, time spent with peers and peer pressure for deviance have all been associated with adolescent antisocial behaviour” (via Shader, 2004). Giddens and Sutton (2013) believe there are strong links between crime and social exclusion. They claim that crime rates reflect the growing number of people who do not feel valued by the societies they live in and they lack parental support and guidance.
Teens have more pressure to be cool, and to be accepted that's what makes them rebel of do what mom or dad had always told them not to do. They may know that it is wrong but it is all about looking cool for that second, or being safe and listen to your parents. Actually, when you are faced with a situation that you know is wrong you don't think about what your parents will think until you have already completed it and there is no turning back. Then there comes the punishment. That makes the teen rebel more and do more things to be "cool" and doesn't care.
One of the reasons why teenagers are involved in social problems is lack of love from the parents. Parents who are busy with works and neglect their children, makes it easier for their children to involve in activities that are harmful and dangerous as a sign of rebellion. Curiosity of the teenagers is another reason why teenagers involved in social problems. This is because they want to know and try something new. Living as a growing adult makes everything is interesting in their eyes. Without parental guidance and moral values, they could not differentiate between good things and bad things. Another cause of why teenagers involved in s...
Where juveniles choose to do their routine activities contributes greatly to delinquency. Juveniles are more likely going to be delinquent in public areas. Like I stated earlier, juveniles are more likely to be delinquent on school days, which leads to delinquent behaviors happening around the schools. When an adolescent is walking to or from school is also a time of high delinquency. This is because these are times of low supervision from adults, or people of authority. If the delinquent acts do happen during school it is usually in areas where there are low supervision within the schools building.
Peer pressure can be both a positive and negative influence and will challenge us do things whether they are right or wrong. This is left for you to determine. Peer pressure can influence several areas in your life like; academic performance, who you choose for friends, it can influence who you mat choose for a boyfriend or girlfriend, it can influence decisions about sex, it may change your feelings about alcohol and drug use, and it can even determine your fashion choice.