peer pressure

Pressure is the feeling that you are being pushed toward making a certain choice—good or bad.
A peer is someone in your own age group.
Peer pressure is—you guessed it—the feeling that someone your own age is pushing you toward making a certain choice, good or bad.

Types of Peer Pressure there are only two indirect and direct. indirect is having a song encourging you to take drugs because you don 't know the song writer diectly and they aren 't specificly telling you to take drugs it 's is indirect. direct would be if you friend presure you to take drugs. they are taking specificly to you and you know them it is direct.
What are the 5 subtypes of peer pressure?
The types of peer pressures include:1.Negative peer pressure 2.Positive peer pressure 3.Heavy peer pressure 4.Indirect peer pressure 5.Friendly peer pressure.
Effects of Negative Peer Pressure

When you do not like a particular idea or when you have no inclination towards a particular field, it is obvious that you won 't like to go by it. For sure, you won 't like to go that way. But it is you peer group, which may compel you on doing something you hate. In such cases, there are chances that you won 't do well in those things. Things you do not enjoy doing cannot fetch you success. You cannot emerge successful in something you have never liked doing. So, it is important that you do not lose happiness of your life by succumbing to peer pressure.

Many a time, it so happens, that we are forced to lead a certain kind of lifestyle due to peer pressure. You may not like partying on every weekend, you may not like night outs with friends, you may hate drinking or smoking, but peer pressure may make you do all that you had never wished to. There are many teenagers who experience great pressure from their peer group that forces them to take to drinking. You may take to something as grave as drug use, and that too, only because of peer pressure. In such cases, being overly pressurized by you peers can be detrimental to your living. Some teenagers literally spoil their lives by giving in to peer pressure.

Peer pressure can lead to a loss of individuality. Extreme peer pressure may lead you to follow what your peers feel right. Their pressure may compel you to go by everything they think right. You tend to blindly imitate the masses; you adopt their tastes of fashion, clothing, hair, music and general living. Peer pressure can actually lead you to lose you tastes of life and force yourself to begin liking what they like. Peer pressure is the human tendency to join the bandwagon, in which, the person loses his/her original way of looking at life.
Here are some negative effects of peer pressure on your child.

Alienation From the Family
The direct effect of negative peer pressure is alienation from the family. The teen will just not like to be in the company of his parents as he feels that their values are standing in the way of his desires. A negative peer pressure is always antagonistic to the values that are promoted by the family. Thereby, the first thing that the teen does is to compromise the values and then indulge in activities that are contrary to them.

Disinterest in Studies
Negative peer pressure teaches and encourages the teen to ignore studies. He will thus bunk classes and be completely uninterested in academics. The grades would naturally fall the teen would find it difficult to cope up in high school or get admission in colleges. This will naturally affect his career.

Negative Behaviour
Negative peer pressure renders an impact in his behaviour and attitude. They feel that it is a mark of independence to disobey and disregard the opinion and values of their parents. They turn hostile and it affects their relationship with their parents, social circle and later in their personal lives also succumbs to this negativity.
Amongst the other common effects of negative pressure is indulgence in smoking, alcohol, drugs and early sexual activities. If the negative peer pressure is not timely taken care of, it can damage the future life of the teen in a major way leading to behavioral and psychological disorders, not to forget the physical harm ensuing from it.
Negative Peer Pressure and Its Serious Consequences

By: Alice Langholt
Negative peer pressure touches almost every teen at some point. Adults also face it at times. Peer pressure lessons learned by giving in can be extremely damaging, or empowering, depending on the outcome.
To avoid emotional upheaval, it is important for parents to give adolescents tools for coping with peer pressure. This helps kids make the right decisions when they are faced with negative peer pressure situations. The need for peer acceptance is extremely strong in the teen years. Standing up for oneself is of extreme importance, and can be very difficult.
What Negative Peer Pressure Is Like
Negative peer pressure occurs when a group coerces someone into doing something inappropriate. The group makes it clear that the person will be kicked out of the group or targeted for revenge if she does not participate. The group also makes it clear that participation leads to acceptance by the group, which is very desirable during the teen years.
The activity may be as simple as drinking alcohol at a party or smoking marijuana. It could extend to committing a crime or engaging in unprotected sex. Whatever the activity, the person being pressured feels torn between his value system and his desire to be accepted or avoid the group 's punishment.
Why Giving in Is Bad
If a teen gives in and participates, putting acceptance ahead of her values, the teen loses faith in herself. She stops believing in her ability to stand up for herself, and her ability to live consistently with the values she wants to have. Once she has compromised her values, it becomes easier to do it again the next time. She may let her values go after a while, and go further participate in situations that she otherwise would have resisted.
The damage to the teen 's self esteem is lasting. It can lead to depression or other emotional illnesses over time. Participating in illegal or immoral activities can also lead to legal trouble or health problems.
Avoiding Negative Peer Pressure
A teen who has been taught to stand up for his values is more likely to avoid situations in which he is asked to compromise them. If he stands up to the group, refusing to participate in their plans, he will save his self respect. The group may reject him or attempt to humiliate him; if he tells others or gravitates toward people who support him, he will avoid the difficulties of this situation. In some cases, the teen who stands up to peer pressure winds up being the leader of the group, because he 's voicing concerns that others are too afraid to share.
In the end, he can find a group of peers who are more in line with his value system. He can feel good about himself and his ability to take a stand. This is the desired outcome because it strengthens the teen as a person.
What Parents Can Do
Parents who openly communicate, who are involved with their kids ' lives and who teach their kids tools for coping with negative peer pressure will have the best chance of protecting teens from the negative effects of surrendering. Parents who have firm and clear expectations and have more influence over their children than teen peers. This gives kids the courage to stand up for themselves and protect their personal values.

Negative and Positive Effects of Peer Pressure
We tend to get influenced by the lifestyle of our peers. Their thinking, their choices and their behavior influences us. We feel compelled to follow them. That 's peer pressure. It is beneficial to a certain extent. But its negative effects are more apparent. Peer pressure can be of two types, negative and positive. The section of society which is most vulnerable to the effects of peer pressure is of teenagers. Let 's try to understand the positive and negative effects of peer pressure on people.

Joe, a boy like any other. There 's nothing extraordinary or different about him or his life. He has a family, he has friends. He is a part of the society all of us also are. His thinking, behavior, tastes of food, fashion and music and the decisions he takes in life are greatly influenced by those of people around him. 'What people think ' is the most influential factor in the choices he makes. What matters most to him is the people around, some directly related to him, others not. But for whatsoever reason, their opinions matter. He can never think of what only he wants. His decisions are almost always influenced by what people think of him. These people may not have anything to do with him, but for some reason their opinions matter. He thinks they are important. They are his peers, they make the group he is a part of. He claims he can think independently, but somewhere he knows he can 't. He thinks peer pressure does not affect him, but somewhere he knows it 's a delusion. Joe is neither happy nor sad, he is confused.

Joe 's story applies to you, me and everyone around. In each of us, there is a Joe. We get influenced by our peers. Their opinions and choices affect us. We want to be independent but we cannot get rid of the group we are part of. We cannot free ourselves from our peers or their opinions and we can 't do away with their pressure. It affects us all the time, directly or indirectly. Very few have the courage to resist peer pressure and be their own selves rather than being one among the lot. Very few have the courage to follow their heart and not the herd. Peer pressure does affect us, both positively and negatively. The difference between positive and negative peer pressure is that the former pushes us to do something good or restrains us from doing bad while the latter pulls us away from the good or pushes us to do the bad; and all this for the sake of peers, just because the crowd thinks it 's the coolest thing to do. It 's not unnatural for peer behavior to affect us, but following your peers blindly is not a wise thing to do. Let 's see how peer pressure affects us.

Negative Effects

Decisions Go Wrong: When you do not like a particular idea or when you have no inclination towards a particular field, it is obvious that you won 't like to go by it. For sure, you won 't like to go that way. But it is your peer group, which may compel you on doing something you dislike. It 's obvious that you won 't be happy doing what you do. And you won 't succeed. Succumbing to peer pressure in taking important decisions of your life can only land you in sorrow. For example, taking up a field or choosing a career just because your friends did so; without much thought to where your interest lies, can only make you unhappy.

Bad Habits are Cultivated: Peer pressure forces you to do things you are not comfortable doing. It can even lead you to adopt a certain kind of lifestyle, even if you don 't really want to. You may not like partying every weekend, you may not be smoking. But peer pressure is powerful. It can turn you from an always-at-home boy/girl to a complete party animal. It can turn you from a total non-smoker to a chain-smoker. There are so many teenagers who take to drinking against their will, just because their peers force them to. In many cases, peer pressure has been the culprit in creating drug addicts. At that vulnerable age, teenagers do not understand that they are actually ruining their life by giving in to pressure from peers.

Identity is Lost: Peer pressure can lead to loss of individuality. Extreme peer pressure may lead you to follow what your peers feel right. Their pressure may compel you to go by everything they think is right. You follow them blindly; you adopt their tastes of fashion, clothing, hair, music and living at large. Peer pressure can actually lead you to lose your own taste. You feel forced to like what they like and do what they do. Peer pressure is the tendency to join the bandwagon; you lose your originality of thought and conduct. You forget the way you wanted to live. You lose your identity.

Positive Effects

Adopting Good Habits: Peer pressure is not always bad. It can help you reflect on yourself. Peers may teach you good things and encourage you to follow them. You may be able to change yourself for better. Looking at what others do, can help you bring a positive change in your way of thinking. If you can pick selectively, peer pressure can push you towards something positive. For example, when a child knows that some of his friends regularly read storybooks or that they have subscribed to a library, even he feels tempted to do so. He may get into the habit of reading because of his peers. Seeing that some of your friends exercise daily, even you may take up the habit. Positive peer pressure can lead you to adopt good habits in life.

Exposure to the World: Your peers, their choices and ways of life give you a glimpse of the world outside the four walls of your house. What they think about things in life, how they perceive situations, how they react in different circumstances can actually expose you to the world around. Being part of a larger group of peers exposes you to the variety in human behavior. This makes you reflect on your behavior and know where you stand. Peer pressure can lead you to make right choices in life.

Giving Up Bad Habits: If you are fortunate enough to get a good peer group, your peers can influence the shaping of your personality in a positive way. Their perspective of life can lead you to change yours. It 's not pressure every time; sometimes it 's inspiration, which makes you change for good. For example, positive peer pressure can make you quit smoking or give up bad habits that you may have. Your peers can inspire you to become more optimistic or more confident. Your peers may influence you to change and make you a better human being.

Teenage Peer Pressure

When talking about the positive and negative effects of peer pressure, you can 't escape discussing how peer pressure affects teenagers. It 's because they are the most vulnerable and the most affected. During the teenage years, one is exposed to the world outside. There are many changes taking place at the physical and psychological level. One starts feeling he has grown up, he feels he needs to make choices, take important decisions and looking at the plethora of options available, one is confused. It 's during these years that one 's ideals are formed. These years shape an individual and his life. He feels independent, free and discovers a new 'himself '.

Teenage years are the educative years of one 's life. It 's the phase they do their high school, go for higher education, take up degree courses. They busy carving a career for themselves. They spend most of their time among those of their age - their friends, peers. Teenage is the most youthful period of life. At that age, they are young, enthusiastic, ready to take life head on and eager to take in every little thing life brings their way. They enjoy the company of others their age, as full of energy as they are. But this age is also the most dangerous. They are susceptible, anything can influence them and make them change, for better or worse - the line between the two blurs for a brief period. It 's not the kids to blame, it 's their age.

Teenagers are the most likely to fall prey to peer pressure. So, their parents and teachers should save them from succumbing to it. It 's natural for a teenaged kid to feel like imitating his friend. It 's natural for him to feel like smoking just because his friends do or feel like drinking because his peers do. It 's not abnormal for teenaged kids to adopt all that is considered hip and cool without a second thought. They don 't do it deliberately. No. They just can 't distinguish between the good and the bad. They need to be taught the difference. They need to be shielded from negative peer pressure. And the solution is not in isolating them from peers. It 's in teaching them to make good choices in life.

A strong support from family, an ability to differentiate between the right and the wrong and the skill to choose friends from peers is the key to greet the positive effects of peer pressure and keep the negative ones at bay.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/negative-and-positive-effects-of-peer-pressure.html

REFERENCES: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-peer-pressure.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_pressure http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/peer_pressure.html http://www.buzzle.com/articles/negative-and-positive-effects-of-peer-pressure.html http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Negative-Effects-Of-Peer-Pressure-39059467.html

References: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-peer-pressure.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_pressure http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/peer_pressure.html http://www.buzzle.com/articles/negative-and-positive-effects-of-peer-pressure.html http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Negative-Effects-Of-Peer-Pressure-39059467.html