Free Essay

Peer Pressure

In:

Submitted By almarodriguez
Words 418
Pages 2
What is peer pressure? When does it happen? Where? Who is affected by it? Am I a victim? Is there anything I can do? These questions run through our minds every day. The answers… you fill in. Now, it’s been said that our age group is affected by peer pressure because of our so-called friends tempting us into trying things they consider “cool” and “fun”. These things are drugs, alcohol and stealing. About 60% of us (teenagers) end up in the hospital, jail, rehabs, and/or on the streets because of these three items. My point is that we easily give in to peer pressure. That’s not a good thing. It has happen to me, and I am sure that it has happen to all of you. What you have to do is just walk away, and tell someone what’s going on. I know its sounds easy but its not. My reason is that I believe we give in to peer pressure because we want to be part of the in-crowd. We think that if we do it, everyone would like us and think we’re so awesome. Let me ask you this. If the coolest kid jumps off a bridge, are you going to jump off too? No! But it’s the cool thing to do! Or are you thinking of what happens if that kid dies? What if you die? So why don’t we ask ourselves these questions when it comes to drugs, alcohol and stealing.
But hey! Your argument may be that you think you’re nothing, so drugs, alcohol and stealing makes you feel like you’re big and bad or you’re somebody. Or it’s not in your control because your friends sneak shots in your drinks at a party, whatever your case may be. I understand since I have been in a situation like this, but I didn’t blame anyone. Whose fault is it really? Ask yourself why am I doing this? Why do I still hang out with my so-called friends? Are they going to get me out of jail?
This is all on you! You’re the one that is going to get in trouble, have a record, be put in a rehab, have your parents (if they were kind enough) pay for the charges, and a lot more. I’m pretty sure no one wants a life like that. So, my advice is walk away, stay away, and let someone know. Do the right thing for yourself, and to others as well.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Peer Pressure

...Reviving Peer Pressure Nobles International School English Department Shakib Arsalaan * Abstract Almost everyone has experienced peer pressure before, either positive or negative. Peer pressure is the act of peers to get a teenager to do something they usually wouldn’t do. It is so easy to give in to peer pressure because everyone wants to fit in and be liked. Especially when it seems like “everyone is doing it”. Yet whenever we hear the word Peer Pressure we immediately think towards the negative side of it. We don’t usually think of positive peer pressure. This research is going to understand why that is happening with the help of statistics, interviews, and survives. * * Contents * Reviving Peer Pressure Introduction What Is Peer Pressure Types of Peer Pressure How does it Affect Teenager On what measures does it affect the society? Why is Peer Pressure consider Negative? Teenagers Who Have Experienced Peer Pressure Interviews with Parents Graphs and Statistics of Peer Pressure How to Reduce Peer Pressure Technics of using Peer Pressure in a positive way How to improve it within a society Conclusion Point of View on Peer Pressure Summary References/Bibliography * Introduction When a school year begins, students are dealing with new classes, sports and other school-related activities. Most students will also face the challenges of peer pressure. Peer...

Words: 875 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Peer Pressure

...The peer pressure students feel from their peers is more harmful then helpful. High school and college students are within the age group that they get influenced really easily. Students are tempted to try several new things such as, smoke and do drugs. A student is not stubborn enough to not be able to accept new things. Earning good grades is an exercise that students have been practicing and forced to do since elementary. To pass a class, a student is pressured to get good grades. Peer pressure can simply put stress on the student and that will lead the student to practicing drugs since they relieve stress. In this society that we are in, everyone just wants to blend in and be accepted within the area. Peer pressure will not allow you to think on your own or do your own thing. It takes away your independence and makes you rely on people for every single thing that you do. You will always want to do exactly what your friends will do. Your opinion could be changed and you will completely ditch your own idea. Being independent is highly unlikely if you are peer pressured. Peer pressure can hypnotize a person and cause that person to be a mindless follower. Friends will always suggest for you to do something for the good or for the bad. A person should be able to think on their own then listen to what other people have to say. People can debate about their topics ,but in the end, it is possible that it will not remain in a stalemate. Peer pressure could also encourage a person...

Words: 516 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Peer Pressure

...The influence of peer pressure in adolescence In our young days we all might have tried it. Maybe we didn’t notice it, but it still had an influence on us. Peer pressure happens every day, and some cases are worse than others. A lot of teenagers might feel very unsecure, and need something to hold on to. Because of that, teenagers join a group of friends, in some cases; “friends”, and to keep their status in the group, they might do things to be respected and accepted in the group. These things can be negative and positive. The negative influence could be if a group of friends start to smoke. Let’s pretend there are five boys in this group, four of them start to smoke, and one of the boys doesn’t do things like that, or rather; he doesn’t smoke. The four smoking boys feel some kind of unity by smoking together, and that exclude the non-smoking boy from the group, and the boy will maybe not be accepted in the group anymore. To avoid getting excluded by the group, he starts to smoke, despite his own will. This example is described as a negative influence. Even worse cases could be if a group of boys want to commit a robbery or break into a store for example. One of the boys in the group doesn’t really want to do these things, maybe because he knows better than the rest of the group. But he follows the group, so in the end he really doesn’t’ know better, because giving in to peer pressure, is not so clever and especially not, when it has such a negative influence...

Words: 690 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Peer Pressure

...Peer pressure is something that everyone has to face at one point or another. For a lot of people, it takes the form of a re-occurring crucible. For others, it’s just a catalyst that sets them back a little. Peer pressure can be overcome, but there’s never a point where it completely stops. From the time you’re born, you are influenced by the people and things around you. Even in kindergarten, you soon learn that in order to ‘fit in’, you have to conform yourself to the atmosphere. This means that when a friend of yours wants your peanut-butter and jelly sandwich instead of their corn-dog that you will give it to them for fear of being rejected. By the end of the school year though, you realize that you don’t have to give into this pressure, so you make a trade for their pizza instead. By middle school, however, you’ve wised up and know everything there is to know about peer pressure do to millions of conversations in Health class about it. And now that you’ve reached this new level of maturity, you no longer give up your favorite foods to fit in. You’ve learned that loaning your favorite clothes and CDs works a WHOLE lot better. High school is slightly different. You’re less likely to give in to material things. Now it’s about emotions and relationships. The famous phrase, “But, I love you” soon comes to mean nothing. Oh but don’t worry, by the time you reach college you’re practically grown, right? Not hardly. Now with the pressures of having a job and going to school...

Words: 453 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Peer Pressure

...The influence of peer pressure in adolescence In our young days we all might have tried it. Maybe we didn’t notice it, but it still had an influence on us. Peer pressure happens every day, and some cases are worse than others. A lot of teenagers might feel very unsecure, and need something to hold on to. Because of that, teenagers join a group of friends, in some cases; “friends”, and to keep their status in the group, they might do things to be respected and accepted in the group. These things can be negative and positive. The negative influence could be if a group of friends start to smoke. Let’s pretend there are five boys in this group, four of them start to smoke, and one of the boys doesn’t do things like that, or rather; he doesn’t smoke. The four smoking boys feel some kind of unity by smoking together, and that exclude the non-smoking boy from the group, and the boy will maybe not be accepted in the group anymore. To avoid getting excluded by the group, he starts to smoke, despite his own will. This example is described as a negative influence. Even worse cases could be if a group of boys want to commit a robbery or break into a store for example. One of the boys in the group doesn’t really want to do these things, maybe because he knows better than the rest of the group. But he follows the group, so in the end he really doesn’t’ know better, because giving in to peer pressure, is not so clever and especially not, when it has such a negative influence...

Words: 372 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Peer Pressure

...Introduction The Good and Bad Effects of Peer Pressure to Teenagers Peer pressure is commonly applied to younger people especially to us teenagers. Responding to peer pressure is a part of growing up that some teenagers more likely to give in. Peer pressure is the only thing that all teens have in common and some of them can't escape it because it’s almost everywhere. Peer pressure is the way that people influence another individual to take an action or adopt certain values to be one of their social groups. Teenagers are very quick in making their own decisions and judgements. When communication is lacking at home, teens may seek it among their peers instead to their parents for them they know that their peers are always right because they're feeling what you also feel. You think all of you have a lot in common. This outcome indicates that teens may find it more difficult to control their behaviors when their friends are around. They are visible and expressive when it comes to their peers but when it comes to their own parents they are invisible. They always keep in their minds that their parents will never understand them as their peers do. In the bright side, it can also have a positive effect. Peer influence is not necessarily bad at all times. Fellowship with other youths can also sharpen our personality and make us a better person. They can also be a good instrument for us teenagers if those peers have mature and healthy attitudes. They often...

Words: 3176 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Peer Pressure

...PEER PRESSURE Heather Bucklew College Composition 2 1310C Professor Jeffery Kosse Peer pressure is an ongoing and worsening issue for the younger generation. It has long lasting effects as it affects academics and causes children to mature before their time and often leads to depression. Classes for Peer Pressure would be helpful with kids in school as it would help children learn to recognize the issues and in the process teach them to communicate in a better way. I believe that Classes that are clearly the way to combat the trend. Teaching kids to talk in respectful manner to everyone would be the focus of the classes. I believe that this would be helpful for some people because not everyone realizes the power of words and that some people might take what you say the wrong way, feeling pressured to do something that goes against what they believe and desire. There are studies that say that 30 percent of teens are offered drugs during their middle and high school years. Another study states that 50 percent of teenagers feel like they have been pressured to have sex in their relationship. I believe that peer pressure classes would bring the issues to the front and show the students that they are not alone and that it is ok to say no if you do not want to participate and do what you are being pressured to do. The classes would teach the students that it is ok to be their own person, they don’t have to do everything that their friends...

Words: 348 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Peer Pressure

...Peer pressure From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Peer pressure is influence that a peer group, observers or individual exerts that encourages others to change their attitudes, values, or behaviors to conform the group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, in which individuals are "formally" members (such as political parties and trade unions), or social cliques in which membership is not clearly defined. A person affected by peer pressure may or may not want to belong to these groups. They may also recognize dissociative groups with which they would not wish to associate, and thus they behave adversely concerning that group's behaviors.[citation needed] Contents [hide] 1 In Youth 2 Asch conformity 3 The Third Wave 4 Neural mechanisms 5 Explanation 6 References In Youth[edit] Peers become an important influence on behavior during adolescence, and peer pressure has been called a hallmark of adolescent experience.[1][2] Peer conformity in young people is most pronounced with respect to style, taste, appearance, ideology, and values.[3] Peer pressure is commonly associated with episodes of adolescent risk taking (such as delinquency, drug abuse, sexual behaviors,[4] and reckless driving) because these activities commonly occur in the company of peers.[2] Affiliation with friends who engage in risk behaviors has been shown to be a strong predictor of an adolescent's own behavior.[5] Peer pressure can also have positive effects when youth are pressured...

Words: 1013 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Peer Pressure

...Peer pressure back my day was far more consequential than it is in today’s society. Teens these days need to learn to toughen up! Back in the days of the old 1964-chev Impala, ooh those babies were gold! With their chrome finishing’s, bench seats, hydraulics if you had the money, cause back in my day money was hard to come by, I can remember one time I did a whole week working on a farm with a young lad called Fredrick Plaskie, and all I got was a lousy 6 pence, to buy a new pair of shoes with no soles, but they did the job, no more of that walking through the cow poop on the way to school. I tell you now, for nothing I might add, you youngins have it easy these days, your parents will happily give you money so you have the coolest clothes, so that no snotty nose kids will tell you that your clothes aren’t “hip” or “down wit it.” Anyway where was I? Oh that’s right we took peer pressures like a whip on the bum from the cane. Everyday we would get a cane whopping, and boy I can tell you now I left a sore spot for days on end. With today’s teens, they get a few sissy names flung their way; they will sob and complain to the brothers and sisters as the local slang slings it. I remember back in the old school yard once, young Billy Mc Cormik was getting hassled about his ginormous teeth. Now he was getting names flung at him from all directions. Now he didn’t go and cry to his “peeps” he took it like a man, not like you young teens these days, go off and cry to yo mammas complaining...

Words: 861 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Appendix E- Peer Pressures

...freshman from Chicago attending Iowa State. Donnie spends most of his time playing his guitar and writing music. In high school he had a few close friends but his attention was mainly focused on his studies and his music. He has little trouble expressing himself and enjoys doing so on stage while playing in his band. Donnie is determined to earn a degree and find a career in playing, writing, or producing music. Response: In 200 to 300 words provide an opinion on who would be more likely to be persuaded by peer pressures such as drinking, drug use, skipping class, and other irresponsible behavior in a new city. Then provide your reasoning on why you chose either John or Donnie as more likely to conform to his new social situation. Reference the factors that influence persuasion and conformity discussed in your text. My Response: After reading the scenarios, I believe John would be the student who is more likely to fall victim to peer pressure. College is much different then high school. In high school, he was one of the popular kids – as most athletes are. John is in a situation where he will need to build new friendships and adjusting to not being one of the popular kids right away. He will have a reputation to build and depending on whom he selects as his friends, will determine what kind of reputation he will have. College is where kids start to experiment with alcohol and drugs, as well as skipping classes and developing an...

Words: 509 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Peer Pressure

...Jamesha Johnson Mrs. Doughty EN 0103 19 March 2014 Facing Peer Pressure Peer pressure is basically pressure from peers to do something. A student can be pressured into doing something by his or her peers, family or even by students they don’t even know. College students are faced with this every day. It is harder for them because they no longer have mom or dad to wake them up in the morning for class, and to tell them what the right or wrong voice is in a difficult situation. There are many things college students are pressured into in the work today, like pressure to do well in school, to go out, or to develop better studying habits. Although peers can have an effect on the college experience, parents can as well. Parents almost always pressure their children to do well in college. Some already have a mindset on what kind of grades they want their children to have. One way a parent could pressure their child to do well in college is, they may bribe them with a special gift at the end of the semester. Another way is, a parent just might have a high expectation and the child may feel pressured to meet that expectation. Parents pressuring their children can be very good for them. It is good for them because they want to show their family how smart they are, and that they can do it. When a person is pressured to do well, it makes him or her feel like someone cares about his or her future. By having a caring person pressure him or her, they want to succeed and make them happy. ...

Words: 709 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Peer Pressure Satire

...Peer Pressure "Come on you guys! Let's just skip math class. Who wants to take that math quiz, anyway? I'm gonna go get some lunch instead. Don't you all want to come, too? Let's go!" demands the best kid in your class. Everyone goes along with him. Would you do what you know is right and go to math class? Or would you just go along with the others because you don't want to be left out? As you grow older, you will see that sometimes, you will face some challenging situations. Sometimes, they don't have any obvious right or wrong answer – you just have to make your mind. In other times, you have to make decisions that include serious ethical questions, like the situation that you saw, the one about cutting math class. Making your own choices...

Words: 1506 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Peer Pressure

...please make sure he can receive the counseling that he really needs to keep him on the right track mentally. If you could see him when he comes to church all the young men loves hanging around him, because they love hearing him playing the drums and rapping his music. Since he has been in jail this time he is already trying to improve himself. He asked his dad to send him self help books by Robert Greene, 48 Laws of Power, and The Art of Seduction. If Michael could be given probation, mandatory counseling for depression, community service and steady work to keep his mind occupied he will again be a model citizen. He has so much talent and ability, where he can teach and encourage other young men to take the right road, and not adhere to peer...

Words: 300 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Negative Peer Pressure

...THE DARK TRUTH: NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURE Imagine getting together for coffee with a group of friends.  The conversation turns to a discussion of a recent The Big Bang Theory episode.  "I just love that show" you chime in (you really hate it).  Later, someone suggests a movie.  "Yes, let's watch it!" you reply, even though you'd rather prefer sitting and continue talking with your friends.  By the end of the evening, in spite of excellent coffee, old friends and a reasonably good movie, you still feel "something" was missing. Each time you concealed your true feelings, you disregarded a part of yourself.  You were missing.    When we pretend to take on another's perspectives, go along when we really don't want to or fail to state our preferences, we hide ourselves from others.  We become invisible and smaller somehow, diminished in even our own eyes.  For teenagers, it can seem very important to "fit in." Teens are very concerned about their images, and they are worried about what others think about them. As a result, peer pressure is very influential in many teens' lives. Peer pressure is basically the influence that people of your age have on you. For teenagers, it is the influence that other teens have on their behaviour, dress, attitude and practices. Often, teenagers do what others are doing so that they can fit in - or at least not stand out. Teens like to do what their friends are doing, and be accepted. This peer pressure, though, can lead to undesirable behaviours...

Words: 1571 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Peer Pressure

...Peer Pressure Peer pressure is one of the most difficult issues facing youth today. Peer pressure is the pressure to conform, to act against your will or judgment for social reasons. It forces you to do things you are not comfortable with. Think about it. Your teenager spends much more time with peers than with family members. The communication is direct, and much more powerful than the influence of teachers and other authority figures. Peer pressure can lead to testing drugs and alcohol, skipping school, and various high-risk behaviors. If you notice a sudden change in your child's appearance, clothing, and attitude, especially if accompanied by secretive behavior, he or she may be give in to the influences of peers. Youths: Have you ever felt like you had to act the way your friends did. You may think to yourself even then “this isn’t me”. Or you were given a cigarette or some alcohol and felt you had to try it so that everyone could see that you are cool, or at least, not “un” cool. Peer pressure comes at you in many forms, from many directions and can affect you on daily basis. Think: “What pressure did I face today?” But peer pressure is not always negative. There are negative and positive effects of peer pressure. Peer pressure can be positive if the peers help change the person for the better. However youths are not the only ones who feel peer pressure. Adults feel it too, even though they don’t admit it. In fact, most advertising on radio and television takes advantage...

Words: 736 - Pages: 3