Understanding Peer Pressure Across All Ages

What is Peer Pressure?

• Peer pressure is the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change their attitudes, values, or behavior to conform to the group's norms.

Age of Peer Pressure

• Peer pressure can start at a young age.

Harmful Activities Associated with Peer Pressure

• Some harmful activities associated with peer pressure include drug use, underage drinking, and risky sexual behavior.

Preventing Peer Pressure Problems

• One can prevent problems with peer pressure by having self-confidence, making good choices, and being assertive.

Peer Pressure in Younger Children

• In younger children, peer pressure is usually limited to wanting to do the same things as their friends, such as playing with certain toys or wearing certain clothes.

Harmful Activities in Older Teens and Young Adults

• Older teens and young adults may be peer pressured into activities such as smoking, using drugs, and engaging in risky behaviors.

Susceptibility to Peer Pressure

• Young people are more susceptible to peer pressure compared to adults because of their desire for social acceptance and fear of rejection.

Positive Influence of Peers

• The positive influence of peers encouraging you to become a better version of yourself is described as "positive peer pressure".

Adult Pressure to Purchase

• Adults sometimes feel pressured to purchase items they cannot afford because of the desire to keep up with their peers or to fit in with a certain social group.

Peer Influence vs. Traditional Peer Pressure

• Peer influence is different from traditional peer pressure in that it is a subtle and often unintentional influence, whereas traditional peer pressure is a direct and intentional influence.

Overcoming Peer Pressure

• Overcoming peer pressure can be described as developing the ability to make good choices and resist negative influences.

Factors Contributing to Susceptibility

• Factors that contribute to youth's increased susceptibility to peer pressure include the desire for social acceptance, fear of rejection, and the need for self-validation.