Michelle Elton
Lara Fields
PSY-1100-049
30 October 2011
PAPER #1 – PEER PRESSURE IN TEENAGERS
When the term “peer pressure” is said, the first thought is of teenagers. Typically peer
pressure is strongest during the teenage years because this is the time for socialization and selfdiscovery. Not all peer pressure is bad; some is good, such as getting good grades, participating
in school events, and treatment of peers. As a parent or student of psychology, a person
wonders what skills would help a teen handle peer pressure. My youngest son is not making
some wise choices. I used this paper to investigate ways to help him.
Starting the interview, the first question asked, “Have you ever caved in to peer pressure?”
Both interviewees answered yes. One subject just answered yes of course. The other expanded
a little and said, “It was so fast I didn’t think about what I was doing. I didn’t think about the
results or consequences, I just did what everyone wanted me to do.” This is what happens to
teens, they live in the moment when they are around their friends. They only think about fitting
in with everyone and instant rewards. This is explained in a research paper from Temple
University’ “Dr. Steinberg notes that the brain system involved in reward processing is also
involved in the processing of social information, explaining why peers can have such a
pronounced effect on decision making. The effect is believed to be especially strong in
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teenagers, because brain changes shortly after puberty appear to make young people more
attentive and aware of what other people are thinking about them.”(Teenagers, Friends and
Bad Decisions)
Second question was, “Have you every stood up to peer pressure? What gave you the courage
to stand up?” Subject one said, “Yes, I know who I am and what I stand for. Self- recognition.”
The second subject said, “Yes, I thought about what my parents would think and how I would
feel.” Both subjects showed that they are starting to understand themselves. They are
establishing a sense of self. It is explained really well by Dr. Laurence Steinberg:
“There are two main features that seem to distinguish teenagers from adults in their
decision making," says Laurence Steinberg, a researcher at Temple University in
Philadelphia. "During early adolescence in particular, teenagers are drawn to the
immediate rewards of a potential choice and are less attentive to the possible risks.
Second, teenagers in general are still learning to control their impulses, to think ahead,
and to resist pressure from others." These skills develop gradually, as a teen's ability to
control his or her behavior gets better throughout adolescence. ( Teenagers, Friends
and Bad Decisions)
The next couple of questions were similar in they were all directed as asking about
specific helps a teenager might use to deal with peer pressure. “Do you have a friend that
will support you even if the rest of the group is against you? Do you have an escape plan?
Can a parent or family help you?” Each subject had a friend that would stand by them no
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matter what happened. Both subjects said they would leave if they wanted to. One said if
he couldn’t leave he would text a friend to come and over by him to make things easier.
(personally, I appreciated the irony that they said they would leave but they both said
they had done things from peer pressure that they wouldn’t have normally done) . There
were some great suggestions in an article about peer pressure one ways to help handle it:

Listen to your gut. If you feel uncomfortable, even if your friends seem to be OK
with what's going on, it means that something about the situation is wrong for
you. This kind of decision-making is part of becoming self-reliant and learning
more about who you are.

Plan for possible pressure situations. If you'd like to go to a party but you believe
you may be offered alcohol or drugs there, think ahead about how you'll handle
this challenge. Decide ahead of time — and even rehearse — what you'll say and
do. Learn a few tricks. If you're holding a bottle of water or a can of soda, for
instance, you're less likely to be offered a drink you don't want.

Arrange a "bail-out" code phrase you can use with your parents without losing
face with your peers. You might call home from a party at which you're feeling
pressured to drink alcohol and say, for instance, "Can you come and drive me
home? I have a terrible earache."

Learn to feel comfortable saying "no." With good friends you should never have
to offer an explanation or apology. But if you feel you need an excuse for, say,
turning down a drink or smoke, think up a few lines you can use casually. You


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can always say, "No, thanks, I've got a belt test in karate next week and I'm in
training," or "No way — my uncle just died of cirrhosis and I'm not even looking
at any booze."

Hang with people who feel the same way you do. Choose friends who will speak
up with you when you're in need of moral support, and be quick to speak up for a
friend in the same way. If you're hearing that little voice telling you a situation's
not right, chances are others hear it, too. Just having one other person stand with
you against peer pressure makes it much easier for both people to resist.

Blame your parents: "Are you kidding? If my mom found out, she'd kill me, and
her spies are everywhere."

If a situation seems dangerous, don't hesitate to get an adult's help.
(Beating Peer Pressure, How to Combat Peer Pressure)
The last question asked “Do you think parents or families can make a difference or help?” The
responses once again were the similar. They both said yes a little. But as a parent I realized they
could help in a few ways. First would be to install a good sense of self-esteem. If a teen feels
good about themselves if makes it easier to stand up for what they know to be right. It is
important to talk with your teenagers. Talk about their values and who they are. Talk about
different strategies they could use to get out of a situation where they feel uncomfortable. Let
them know you are there for them. If they need to be picked up, you will come to their aid.
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Dealing with peer pressure is something every teenager will have to do. The ways they deal
with it are both developmental though physical growth in the brain and emotional growth of
self-recognition. If a child has good self-esteem and good friends it is easier to stand up for
what they feel is right. I learned some good strategies to give my son that might help him.
After researching this paper, my son and I had a good talk about peer pressure.
WORKS CITED
Hardcastle Mike. “Beating Peer Pressure – How to Combat Peer Pressure”
.http://headsup.scholastic.com/articles/peer-pressure-its-influence-on-teens-and-decision-making
Lyness, D’Arcy Phd.http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/friends/peer_pressure.html#
Date reviewed: March 2009
Parker –pope, Tara. “Teenager, Friends and Bad Decisions” well.blogs.nytimes.com
/2011/02/03/teenagers-friends-and-bad-decisions/
“Peer Pressure: It’s Influence on Teens and Decision Making” /headsup.scholastic.com/articles/peerpressure-its-influence-on-teens-and-decision-making