Peer pressure:The bane of adolescence

By Litzy Gonzalez-Garcia

“Kids, in general, organically want to fit in with groups and society. This is the time where yall are finding yourselves and so you tend to gravitate towards a certain trend or idea, whether it’s good sometimes it’s bad,” Lead Counselor Amy Johnson said.

Twenty-eight percent of teenagers agreed that giving in to peer pressure improved their social standing. In fact, nearly half of those surveyed admitted to picking on someone only after a friend picked on that person.

Drug and alcohol use is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to peer pressure. One of the biggest excuses was “Well my friends smoke” or “ I thought it looked cool” teens often start smoking between the ages of 12 and 17. Two-thirds of 10th graders and two-fifths of 8th graders have tried alcohol. Teens with friends who do drugs and drink alcohol are more likely to follow their footsteps.

Stealing and bullying may also happen when being influenced by peer pressure. Maybe it happens on a dare—a challenge to “Do this, or you’re not one of us.” Stealing can

have an immediate impact, including strong feelings of remorse once the rush of adrenaline wears off. Over time, guilt worries about getting caught, and concerns about the possible damage to their reputation can pursue a person’s thoughts after stealing. Many people do not think of themselves as bullies. However the “playground persecutor” is just one version of a bully, and bullying behavior can be developed in small doses. If a group of friends begins to bully someone else, cheering each other on, it can lead to a conundrum for the student who recognizes what’s happening. If they stand aside and resist taking part, they may be treated as an outcast. If they do join in, they can face the negative feelings accompanied by becoming a bully themselves.

Teenagers are also trying to find their identity and their roles in life. Teens may feel pressured for their growing sexual desires. Seeing friends hooking up can make it seem as though sex is what everyone does. A perception can easily lead a person to tamp down their misgivings or hesitation and go further than they wanted to with a sexual partner. This pressure

often begins in high school or even earlier. Studies have shown that 33 percent of teenage boys felt pressured to have sex, while 23 percent of girls in the same age group felt the same way. It can be tough to put on the brakes in the heat of the moment, but in addition to making a person feel uneasy about crossing their personal boundaries, having sex under pressure often means having sex without thinking it through or planning for it. That can lead to serious consequences, such as sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy.

Entering teenage years is notably the most stressful period in life. The adolescent years are filled with emotions, changes, and added responsibilities. Many teenagers have an overwhelming pressure to succeed, and one out of ten teens feel like they must cheat to win. Forty-four percent of teens say they feel strong pressure to succeed and the pressure is felt more often by girls than boys. Eight in ten students feel that success is important, no matter what the cost and that it does not improve once someone gets out of school and into the workforce. Unfortunately, that pressure to succeed leads to

dishonesty and unethical behavior, such as cheating on tests, plagiarizing, stealing, or behaving violently toward another person. Nearly four in 10 teens feel that there are times that felt this pressure, although thankfully, the vast majority knew that it was ethically unacceptable and only 185 admitted to succumbing to the pressure and cheating on a test.

However, not all pressure is bad. Stress is often given a bad rep, but it can be extremely positive because it helps us get stuff done. It galvanises our resourcefulness, helps us focus on a task and meet deadlines. Being challenged mentally and emotionally helps us learn and grow, develop new skills and strengthen our capabilities. Where stress can negatively impact us is when it is prolonged and unrelenting. Pressure is different, though. There really isn’t ‘good pressure’ and ‘bad pressure’, it’s just pressure because important things matter to us, we can’t insulate or protect ourselves from pressure. We can, however, easily over-emphasise or exaggerate the importance of a moment and create unnecessary pressure for ourselves.