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Causes Of Peer Pressure
During adolescence, a teenager wants to be part of a peer group and be accepted by the group. This is one of the main reasons why peer pressure becomes very difficult to resist. However, it is the parents' responsibility to ensure that an adolescent has all the necessary skills to resist peer pressure, so that they do not get into illegal acts and unsafe behavior. |
Peer pressure is not about a group of children daring another child to do something. It is quite different. Peer pressure is subtle and occurs when a group of adolescents persuade each other to start believing in certain behaviors and beliefs. The group accepts those who follow the behaviors and beliefs, while it rejects those who do not. So, when a teenager is rejected by a peer group, it causes not only shame, but also embarrassment.
Peer pressure is quite evident during teenage drinking parties where teenagers are expected to drink and not abstain from alcohol. Other forms of peer pressure are evident when it comes to clothes and approach towards sex or drugs. An adolescent cannot just agree with a group's approach to the behaviors and beliefs, and get away. He or she has to prove themselves by indulging into the acts.
A peer group will always have a leader and he or she is the one who defines the rules and is viewed as an authority figure. If an adolescent challenges the rules of a peer group, it indirectly means that he or she is challenging the authority of the leader. Most teenagers do not challenge the rules as they are worried about losing the friendship of the leader and subsequently their status in the group.
It has been seen that teenagers who do not have house rules and are brought up in a lax environment are the ones who tend to give in to peer pressure. Therefore, it is always advisable for parents to set rules and define clear boundaries, so that the teenager will not cross them. Also, parents who support their children and get involved in their lives have adolescents who have the confidence to resist peer pressure. In case a peer group rejects a confident teenager, then he or she is able to find another peer group to join that will have positive peer pressure rather than negative.
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