Peer Pressure Awareness: Live Above the Influence

All adolescents, teens, and young adults have one thing in common, that one thing is, and you guessed it, peer pressure. Peer Pressure is the influence exerted by a peer group to change his or her attitudes, morals, or actions in order to fit in or please others. This one little thing has a broad affect on everyone, but mostly youth. (Ages nine through twenty-three)Statistics show that approximately fifty percent of youth ages twelve through seventeen feel pressured in sex according to the Kaiser Foundation. The Alan Guttamatche Institute reports four million new sexually transmitted diseases infect teen each year.

Common things that teens, adolescents, and young adults feel pressured to do is, to have sex, do drugs, drink alcohol, or harm themselves(cutting their arm or even suicide!) An example of someone being pressured is when a girl is at school but she really doesn’t have any friends and will do anything to be popular. With the popular crowd fully aware of how she feels invites her to a party. She goes to the party optimistic that she’ll have lots of friends afterwards. She goes to the party with good intentions, not to do anything then, the popular girls start to “PRESSURE” her to drink. She turns it down the first couple of times but finally gives into the “PRESSURE” and takes her first drink. This is a prime example of what happens to teen’s everyday. The difference is that instead of alcohol it may be smoking, (cigarettes or marijuana), sex, popping pills, or bullying is all done to “fit in”.

Teens feel it is very important to be liked by their peers. Let’s be honest, in high school things are easier that way. Acceptance and peer pressure are very similar. An example of trying to be accepted is when a girl may become pregnant to satisfy her partner in an unhealthy relationship. This relationship is unhealthy because no girl should feel force to become pregnant, but also because a teen pregnancy changes your life drastically. Peer pressure is bad because you’re changing who you really are. For instance, someone that was quiet, shy, and caring may turn into a loud, obnoxious, and cruel person because of peer pressure form those who were like that already.

A side of peer pressure that doesn’t mostly get lots of attention is good peer pressure. I know how can peer pressure be good? Good peer pressure is when you change your attitude, behavior, and morals for the better. It’s when you’re influenced by your peers in a good way. Like if a person was cruel and got pressured by their peers to be a little nicer and not always act so stuck up.

There is always help or obstacles that may come your way. (Peer Pressure) believe me parents can be apart of that help. Same different your family/parents/guardians can help you are, practicing peer pressure scenario’s. By this I mean find a calm time prior to or during young/ early addescents (seven – eleven) and make a little skit. It’s a lot faster on the kids when they’ve experienced something like peer pressure before. (So when real peer pressure comes they know what to do). Listen up parents because it will not do you and your child any good if you shut them (need to be revise) or ignore the scary conversations. (Like the sex talk)