Peer Pressure Revised...

Peer pressure negatively influences students’ everyday. Many surrender to peer pressure rather than be looked down upon by their schoolmates. Peer pressure comes in many forms. Negative aspects include cutting classes to hang out, drug and alcohol abuse/addiction, and engaging in other risky behaviors. Although there may be negative aspects, peer pressure can also positively influence students through support from family, teachers, and friends.

The main purpose of going to school is to further one's education so that they will succeed in the future. But what is school life without having friends to endure the ups and downs with you? With this in mind, most students look for ways to fit in, or become socially acceptable. Some examples include changing their appearance, the music they listen to, even the company they choose to associate with.

It is often considered that peer pressure is the cause of all negative behaviors associated with teens. However, friends are an important part of development of finding one’s identity as an individual and finding one’s self separate from their family [1]. Friends offer support on a different scale than a family can, especially since most of their time is spent outside of their immediate families. Peers can create a comfortable atmosphere for trying new things than parents/guardians can, and is more likely to be open to new experiences.

One way peer pressure can negatively impact someone is cutting classes to hang out. This can lead to reckless behavior such as experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Some feel that this activity will make them look “cool.” Whether or not they know the consequences of the activity, the only thought running through their minds is “will I be liked more if I do this?” with no thought as to how this will affect them later in life.

Peer influence is not as effective when strong family support is present in the homes of students. However, some students may come from broken homes where familial support is minimal and rebellion and experimentation become appealing. While other factors may play a role in drug addiction and alcohol abuse, statistics show that 82% of teens will try drugs due to peer pressure, and 79% of them lack sufficient parental supervision [3].

Within the years spent in school students will attend parties thrown by either friends or the school itself. In high schools and colleges drinking is definitely considered a social norm.

Studies show that drinking early on in life can not only cause severe liver problems, but also memory lapse and brain erosion. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to the development of brain disorders such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), which can lead to learning disabilities,[2] which would be detrimental to students. About "25% of college students report that drinking has caused them to face academic problems such as missing class, late assignments, falling behind, and doing poorly on exams and papers" [4].

Another example of how friends can influence one in is drugs/smoking. You might have friends that are opposed to smoking and drug use in general, they are the reason you refuse a cigarette or some other drug initially, but what if other friends keep persisting that you just try it because “once won’t kill you.” Eventually, the more you continue to “try it” it becomes a habit. Like alcohol, drugs have harmful effects on the brain. They tend to falsely activate neurotransmitters that cause exhilaration and other pleasurable feelings that may last for a short period of time they also leave behind long term effects that cause memory loss and irrational thinking.

With all the ways that negative peer pressure can affect the well being of teenagers, there are ways to prevent them from surrendering. Researchers have noted that one of the most effective ways of preventing teens from peer pressure is family support. Setting up firm boundaries and having regular, open discussions with their children is highly recommended. According to researchers, teens that live in family households that have less rules and uninvolved parents are most vulnerable to falling victim to peer pressure.

Works Cited:

1. “Adolescent Mental Health Trainers Guide on Handling Peer Pressure.” 2003. Web. 15 Nov

http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Technical_documents_Adolecent_Mental_Health_Promotion_Trainers_Guide_on_Handling_Peer_Pressure.pdf

2. “Legal Doesn’t Mean Harmless.” Drugabuse.gov. Web. 17 Nov 2009.

http://www.drugabuse.gov/JSP4/MOD2/Mod2.pdf

3. “Most Americans Say Peer Pressure, a Lack of Parental Supervision, and Accessibility Are Major Factors in Determining Whether a Teenager Tries Illegal Drugs.” Pew Research Center. Web. 23 Nov 2009.

http://www.publicagenda.org/charts/most-americans-say-peer-pressure-lack-parental-supervision-and-accessibility-are-major-factors-determining-whether

4. “Underage Drinking and Drunk Driving Statistics Among College Students.” UMADD. Web. 23 Nov 2009.

http://www.madd.org/docs/college%20statistics.pdf

Peer Pressure

As hundreds of kids enter middle and high school each year, almost every one of them is negatively influenced academically by peer pressure. Teens can feel pressured into following the crowd and becoming just like others in order to be accepted. Statistics show that many teens would rather surrender to peer pressure than looked down upon by other schoolmates. Peer pressure can come in many forms such as drinking, drugs, and stealing amongst other things, putting their health or reputation on the line. Giving in to pressure is mostly caused by lack of confidence or isolation, or simply the result of bullying or even having parents that are not strict enough. Naturally teens feel that social acceptance must have some catch to it, which causes them to engage in risky behaviors. Many often fall into the wrong crowd and change their personality just to fit in with others, while others risk themselves under the impression they will make friends only to be ridiculed.

The main purpose of going to school is to get a proper education so that in the future one will succeed. But what is school life without having friends to endure the ups and downs with you? With this in mind many teens look for people around them that are similar to them in one way or another, while others look for ways to gain social status and “become someone.” Either way all are at risk of making poor decisions based on persuasion from their “friends.” The negative effects are most commonly referred to because as adolescents most of their time is spent with those outside of their immediate family.

In any school you will find students that generally don’t care about their academic performance. In most cases these are the “popular” students. Students who are socially lower than others strive to reach a certain level of acceptance start cutting classes or stop doing work thinking it will give them more time to prove they can be cool.

One of the most common situations of peer pressure is teen drinking. During the four years of high school many students go to parties where drinking is basically a social norm and all partygoers are expected to engage in the festivities. Whether or not they know the consequences of the activity, the only thing running through their minds is “will I be liked more if do this?” Not thinking of how this will affect them later in life. Studies show that drinking early on in life can not only cause severe liver problems but also memory lapse and brain erosion. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to development of brain disorders such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), which can lead to learning disabilities, which would be detrimental to students.

Another situation that friends can influence one in is drugs/smoking. Sure you might refuse a cigarette or some other drug once or twice, but what if your friends keep persisting that you just try it once? Once becomes twice and then a few more times. Drugs like alcohol have harmful effects on the brain. Drugs tend to falsely activate neurotransmitters that cause exhilaration and other pleasurable feelings that may last for a short period of time; however they also leave behind long term effects that cause memory loss and irrational thinking

While drugs and alcohol can lead to harmful malfunctions of the brain there is also the case of teenage pregnancy. Statistic show that one in three teen males feel pressured by male friends to have sex before they are ready. In addition many females say that they give in to sex because of their boyfriends. Careless mistakes of giving in to a partner can often lead to unwanted pregnancies, which leave both people at risk of having to drop out of school and leaving their education behind.

With all the ways that peer pressure can mess with the well being of teenagers, there are ways of preventing teens from surrendering. Researchers have seen that one of the most effective ways of preventing teens from feeling that they need to do what others think is acceptable is family support. Others ways that can prevent any type of rebellion by teens is setting up firm boundaries and having regular and open discussions with their children. According to researchers homes that have less rules and uninvolved parents are most vulnerable to falling victim to peer pressure.

Original:

As hundreds of kids enter high school each year almost every one of them is faced with peer pressure. All any of them is concerned about is fitting in. Teens feel pressured into following the crowd and becoming just like others in order to be accepted. Peer pressure can come in many forms such as drinking, drugs, stealing amongst other things putting their health or reputation on the line. Giving in to pressure is mostly caused by lack of confidence or isolation; naturally teens feel that social acceptance must have some catch to it, which causes them to engage in risky behaviors. Many often fall into the wrong crowd and change their personality just to click with others, while others risk themselves under the impression they will make friends only to be ridiculed. No one should feel that they have to do something they don’t want to in order to be liked.

Revised:As hundreds of kids enter middle and high school each year, almost every one of them is negatively influenced by peer pressure. Teens feel pressured into following the crowd and becoming just like others in order to be accepted. Statistics show that many teens would rather surrender to peer pressure than looked down upon by other schoolmates. Peer pressure can come in many forms such as drinking, drugs, and stealing amongst other things, putting their health or reputation on the line. Giving in to pressure is mostly caused by lack of confidence or isolation, or simply the result of bullying; naturally teens feel that social acceptance must have some catch to it, which causes them to engage in risky behaviors. Many often fall into the wrong crowd and change their personality just to click with others, while others risk themselves under the impression they will make friends only to be ridiculed.

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=8&hid=4&sid=0de39e26-97c2-43bc-92ad-a8a0892d5042%40sessionmgr112

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=106&sid=0de39e26-97c2-43bc-92ad-a8a0892d5042%40sessionmgr112

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=6&hid=6&sid=0de39e26-97c2-43bc-92ad-a8a0892d5042%40sessionmgr112

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTuwDerg60