|
|
 |
|
|
Join the Discussion
|
Post a message to one of the Teen Advice Message Boards
Teen Advice Main Forum
Post Now
Teens Love & Dating Forum
Post Now
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is "positive" peer pressure?
Positive peer prssure is a pressure to conform to the expected norms of teens in any given culture. It is more a pressure
to conform to positive social expectations than it is a pressure to act out. For example;
A group of teens are wandering around
a mall when on of the groups suggests they shoplift. A few kids agree but most of them veto the idea as stupid. In the end the
group decides to do something else.
In this example the group adhered to the social norm that stealing is wrong and opted to obey the law even though it meant
rejecting the wishes of one of its members. The majority of the group decided not to steal and thie exerted positive peer pressure
on the remaining members. That positive peer pressure caused the other teens to decide not to go ahead with the shoplifting plan.
In this sense the peer pressure exerted on the kids who wanted to shoplift is seen as positive because it stopped them from doing something
that is illegal and not accepted by society as a whole.
Other common examples of positive peer pressure include; the pressure to stay quiet during exams, the pressure to show up at school,
the pressure to follow rules that are important to a team or group, the pressure to obey laws, etc.
Why do teens seem to deal with more peer pressure than any other age group?
Teens are not subject to more peer pressure than other age groups. It is a perception myth that has us believeing that teens
deal with peer pressure in greater amounts than other groups. What is true of teens more than other groups is the that type of peer
pressure they must deal with is often extremely hard to ignore. Since the teen years are a testing ground for the adults we will become, it is very common for the
peer pressure faced by teens to encourage behavior that is generally seen as being anti-social or boundary testing. As teens we are finding our
way, asserting our independence, and learning for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. Because of the naturally rebellious
nature of the teen years the urge to do things just because "the establishment" or "the parents" say you shouldn't is very
strong. In being rebellious teens are trying to carve out their own world view and their place within it; they are testing the
limits and in doing so, they are testing themselves. Because of this, peer pressure can often lead teens astray. Teens want to
assert themselves as able to make their own life decisions and this can cause them to do some extreme acting out; acting out that
is often egged on by peer pressure. Because some of the actions that teen peer pressure can lead to are so against the accepted norm of
society we tend to think that peer pressure is more prevalent in teen populations. It is not more prevalent, it just shows up in
more challenging and unsettling ways.
Next Page > FAQ's on Peer Pressure Part 3 > Pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
|
| 