Peer Pressure Essay Research Paper

Peer Pressure Essay, Research Paper

“Peer Pressure is an influence that creates or the desire for change.” Most teenagers agree that they will follow a peer’s decision rather than their parents’ or the authority’s. Peers are more influential in a teen’s life and tend to have more power than parents. Peer pressure has always been present and will also always be present. It is not a disease or a crime, it is merely and influence; either a negative or a positive one. WHAT IS NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURE.Negative peer pressure is an influence exerted on a person to do something wrong. This may be stealing, drugs or other. If someone influences you into doing something like this it is considered negative peer pressure. We can help reduce peer pressure by teaching coping skills at an early age. Many teenagers who give in easily to negative pressures had a difficult child hood; low self-esteem, feeling of not belonging, poor communication and judgemental skills. HOW TO RECOGNIZE NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURENegative peer pressure gives something significant to teenagers. The group is a place where one feels accepted, where he can feel good about himself, where he feels secure. It increases his self esteem, and it also enhances his self-image. SOME NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURE AREASNegative peer pressure can often be observed in areas such as:+ Sexuality+ Narcotics+ Alcohol+ Cults+ Groups and gangs+ Tobacco products+ Stealing+ School+ Etc… THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF PEER PRESSUREDuring adolescence, a teenager is subjected to lots of peer pressure. This pressure can effect the child mentally, physically and socially. Some of the effects on a person when dealing with negative peer pressure are: Low Self-Esteem: This is the main and most common effect. When a person’s peers mock him/her, or make them feel bad, this person becomes insecure. They begin to feel down and rejected. They feel as if they are worthless to the world. And anybody who has experienced this at one time or another knows that this is one of, if not the, worst feeling you can possess. Substance Abuse: Peers often pressure one another to do something they do not want to do. Offering drugs or alcohol is very common during adolescence. And after constant persisting, and insisting that “everyone is doing it” and that “it’s cool to do so” one gives into this horrible disease. And more often than not, a person can become addicted and dependent on this substance. Obsessions or Depression: People are often subjected to constant portrayals of what you are SUPPOSED to look like or act. If a person sees people that are always thin and happy, one becomes obsessed with that image, and thinks that if they do not look or act that way, that nobody will love them. So these people turn to such eating diseases as bulimia nervosa (regurgitating after one eats) or anorexia nervosa (eating too little). They also become seriously depressed and feel that life is not worth living, and think about or attempt committing suicide. Other actions: Teenagers also conform to the people around them very easily and quickly. If a friend decides to skip school, sometimes you decide to join him. However you may think it’s your decision, but in fact it is this person pressuring you simply by implanting the thought into your mind. This is also true for lying to teachers and parents etc., not doing homework/schoolwork and cheating on tests. WHY DO TEENS GIVE IN TO PEER PRESSUREPeople give in to Peer pressure for many different reasons. One of these reasons is low self-esteem. People with low self-esteem, will do almost anything to become a cool guy. Others give in to peer pressure, because people they think are cool say to do something. These people are just hurting themselves, because if that person is really cool, he isn’t going to make you cool, because you are his little helper. Peer pressure is present in one’s life as long as they have peers (school, workplace,…). Therefore, it is normal for a person to give in to peer pressure. At the beginning of teenage years, teens develop a sense of independence from their parents. Teens want to shape their identity and experiment new things. One may join a group if he is insecure about himself or if he has low self-esteem or self-worth. SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-WORTHSelf-Esteem and Self-Worth affect people very deeply. When peer pressure is exerted on people with low self-esteem the reaction is often the same. A person with low esteem for himself will try to raise his self-esteem but often in the wrong way. When someone changes his personality to conform with what others expect from them will always hurt them in the end.Teens must understand that the choices they make today will absolutely affect their future. Teens must also realise that their future is much more important than simply pleasing their friends today. Some things that you or your parents could do to build someones self-esttem are:+ Have frequent discussions with friends or children

+ Spend quality time with them+ Keep you eyes and ears open for new ways to offer support+ Respect their feelings and encourage him or her to share them with you+ Share your own beliefs and values+ Explain that you learned from your mistakes+ Encourage achievement but avoid adding undue pressure+ Always offer praise when your friends make good decisions HOW TO RESIST PEER PRESSUREThere are many different ways by which one may resist peer pressure. One very effective way is by simply saying ‘no’. O