Peer Pressure

The Harmful Effects of Peer Pressure Peer pressure is found and seen every where from real life such as the school hallways or campus to movies, TV, and books. All teenagers experience peer pressure throughout their years as being a teen and often even after. The pressure caused by peers can be many different things including underage drinking, smoking, sexual intercourse and who they hang out with. "Internationally, as well as here in the UK, the concept of 'peer pressure ' is widely used in analyzing the factors influencing young people 's experiences of sex and pregnancy - illustrated, for instance, by the following strapling from a recent English government-funded teenage pregnancy national media campaign 'Should I let my friends control my sex life?" (Maxwell 305). To me this is a ridiculous question and shows just how much children are affected by their peers. Sex is something that should be taken seriously and not been done because everyone else is doing it. "Early substance use and negative peer pressure - measure through self-report as weather young people felt pressure by friends to taunt from school or engaged in other delinquent activities were the processes through which risk proneness and poor self regulation led to risky sexual behavior." (Maxwell 310) Being under the influence of drugs and alcohol changes the perception of one’s mind and makes it hard to be ones true self. "One in 10 messages analyzed involved teens seeking advice from their peers on how to take illegal drugs "safely" and without getting caught." (Elizaga 295) Teens and drugs are a big deal. Every year more and more teens are using drugs at younger and younger ages. This is often do to the peer pressure that they face and their willingness to do anything to look cool. "The idea that peer pressure is crucial element in young people 's introduction to drugs is widespread among health professionals and policy makers." (Mcintosh 280) This is an unhealthy trend that many teens need to realize. It is often hard to say no to others. "One of the main reasons why young people use drugs is the influence of peer pressure, the presumption being that adolescents are pressurized into taking drugs by their drug-using friends." (Mcintosh 285) "The researchers report that youths possessing the peer role model asset were nearly 2.5 times more likely to report non use of alcohol, compared with youths lacking this asset." (Oman 4). We all know that saying no is hard but children and especially teens need to realize how important it is. By taking a stand things can turn out very differently for ones future. "A harrowing example of how adolescents become involved with hostile peers is illustrated by the movie Thirteen (Hardwicke & Reed, 2003). The film vividly details how Tracy, a smart, well-behaved seventh grade student, is befriended and led astray by Evie, her precocious new best friend. The movie opens with a shocking scene of the two girls, who are high on drugs, smacking each other 's face and laughing. In order to maintain the relationship, the previously sweet, sensitive Tracy is bullied into stealing, shoplifting, taking drugs, self-mutilation, and sexual experimentation. It is as though Tracy is being initiated into the sorority from hell. The competition between girls like these two and their friends makes it seems as though the bond that unites them is hate, not love. The girls terrorize each other with stares, put-downs, rebukes, rumors, and rejections. The film makes viewers uncomfortable but needs to be seen in order to help us understand these youngsters." (Ann 249) Work Cited Ann Ruth Turkel. "Sugar and Spice and Puppy Dogs ' Tails: The Psychodynamics of Bullying. " Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry 35.2 (2007): 243-58. Elizaga, Ronald, and Keith Markman.. "Peers and Performance: How In-Group and Out-Group Comparisons Moderate Stereotype Threat Effects." Current Psychology 27.4 (Dec. 2008): 290-300. Hampton, Mary Rucklos, et al. "INFLUENCE OF TEENS ' PERCEPTIONS OF PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL AND PEER BEHAVIOUR ON THEIR INITIATION OF SEXUAL INTERCOURSE." Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality 14.3/4 (Sep. 2005): 105-121.
Maxwell, Claire, and Elaine Chase.. "Peer pressure - beyond rhetoric to reality." Sex Education 8.3 (Aug. 2008): 303-314. McIntosh, J., F. MacDonald, and N. McKeganey. "Why do children experiment with illegal drugs? The declining role of peer pressure with increasing age." Addiction Research & Theory 14.3 (June 2006): 275-287. Mean Girls Dir Mark Waters Perf. Lindsay Lohan. Paramount Pictures, 2004 Thriteen Dir. Catherine Hardwicke Perf. Nikki Reed. Paramount Pictures,

Cited: Ann Ruth Turkel. "Sugar and Spice and Puppy Dogs ' Tails: The Psychodynamics of Bullying. " Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry 35.2 (2007): 243-58. Elizaga, Ronald, and Keith Markman.. "Peers and Performance: How In-Group and Out-Group Comparisons Moderate Stereotype Threat Effects." Current Psychology 27.4 (Dec. 2008): 290-300. Hampton, Mary Rucklos, et al. "INFLUENCE OF TEENS ' PERCEPTIONS OF PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL AND PEER BEHAVIOUR ON THEIR INITIATION OF SEXUAL INTERCOURSE." Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality 14.3/4 (Sep. 2005): 105-121. Maxwell, Claire, and Elaine Chase.. "Peer pressure - beyond rhetoric to reality." Sex Education 8.3 (Aug. 2008): 303-314. McIntosh, J., F. MacDonald, and N. McKeganey. "Why do children experiment with illegal drugs? The declining role of peer pressure with increasing age." Addiction Research & Theory 14.3 (June 2006): 275-287. Mean Girls Dir Mark Waters Perf. Lindsay Lohan. Paramount Pictures, 2004 Thriteen Dir. Catherine Hardwicke Perf. Nikki Reed. Paramount Pictures,