[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Peer pressure
A peer is someone that you look up to or can be someone you consider an equal in age or ability. And when we talk about the term pressure in the negative sense as exerted by these peers, we refer to the pressure that these people place on others to persuade them to do something that they would not normally consider doing of their own accord. Peer pressure is a social force exerted by a group or powerful/admired individual within a group. It is generally a pressure to conform to a social norm within any given group.
Not all peer pressure is bad. When most people think of peer pressure they are thinking of the pressure to conform to a deviant behavior set. Peer pressure comprises a set of group dynamics whereby a group of people in which one feels comfortable may override the personal habits, individual moral inhibitions or idiosyncratic desires to impose a group norm of attitudes or behaviors.
The level of peer influence generally increases as children grow, and resistance to peer influence often declines as children gain independence from the family or caregivers, and before they fully form an adult identity. However with more social interactions outside the home and more awareness of others, the influence of peers increases.( Sharon,1997)
Adolescents are pulled between the desire to be seen as individuals of unique value and the desire to belong to a group where they feel secure and accepted. The result is that often teens reject family or general society values, while feeling pressure to conform rigidly to the values of their peer group.
Peer pressure is a contributing factor to just about every issue in teenagers lives, including:
- substance abuse
- bullying
- low self-esteem
As children move into adolescence, their peers take on a more influential role in their lives.................
