Lesson 3: Peer pressure: the influence of peer pressure (3 hours

1.3 Lesson 3: Peer pressure: the influence of peer pressure (3 hours)

1.3.1 How peer pressure can influence a person: drug use, crime, unhealthy sexual behaviour, bullying and rebellious behaviour

Wikipedia defines peer pressure as “when one social group applies pressure on a certain person to change their behaviour so that it corresponds with the bigger group. It can be positive or negative”. We will however look at the negative aspect of peer pressure.

Your group of friends is the most important persons apart from your parents during your teenage years. You spend the most time with them and they influence your behaviour. Friends can put a lot of pressure on you to do things that you don’t always agree with. However, you don’t want to feel ostracised and maybe do these things to satisfy them. If you don’t have a good relationship with your parents or if you don’t have an adult role model in your life you can much easier give in to peer pressure.

Peer pressure can influence an individual in the following ways:

1. Use of drugs Huisgenoot did a poll in 2012 under young people between the ages of 12 and 16 years. According to the poll 12% have already smoked marijuana, of which 58% smoked it at least once a month.

Three percent of the respondents have already used tik. There were even some young people that have used ecstacy, cocaine, CAT and hallucinogic mushrooms. Some have always sniffed petrol and glue. Most of the teenagers think they will only do it once. However, your body quickly adjusts to the effects of the drug. Your body develops a craving for the drug.

Two types of dependency develop in the person:

1. Psychological dependency The person has a strong craving for the drug and becomes obsessive about it. He or she experiences anxiety and becomes very irritable. 2. Physical dependency It includes all the factors of psychological dependency, but the person also experiences physical withdrawal symptoms like shivers, fever and muscle cramps. Drug use that develops into drug abuse destroys the youth’s lives and it can even lead to death.

2. Crime Drug use among the youth in many cases lead to crime. They need money to buy the drug and will do anything or steal to satisfy their needs. The craving for a drug becomes so overwhelming that it surpasses all logical reasoning.

In many cases teenagers also become involved in crime due to peer pressure. In many cases you have to commit a crime to show that you are one of the group. It is especially a big problem under the youth of the Cape Flats. It has been speculated that many young people choose to become part of a gang out of fear. They feel safe in the protection of the gang and will do anything to be part of it.

3. Unhealthy sexual behaviour Huisgenoot’s poll of 2012 indicated that of the respondents between 12 and 16 years a third already had sexual relations. 65% of the children were only 13 when they did it for the first time.

It often happens at parties where your friends encourage you to do it. It can also happen when your boyfriend or girlfriend puts pressure on you and it can also be seen as a type of peer pressure.

4. Bullying and rebellious behaviour Peer pressure often leads to persons who are different from the group are being bullied. The person’s self-image is broken down and he or she is seen as inferior. Children show rebellious behaviour towards authority figures like parents and teachers.

You may feel that you are very ‘cool’ or big if you behave like this and the group admires you for your rebellion. You don’t show any respect for other people.

DEFINE

Peer pressure: The manipulation by other people, especially your friends, to make you do something that you don’t necessarily want to do. Drug: It is any chemical, natural or manmade agent which brings about a change in how the person feels and behave when taken in. Drug use: It is when you use drugs, but not in the long term. Drug abuse: It is when you often and over a long period of time use a drug and become dependent on it.

1.3.2 Fitting reactions on pressure: self-assurance, assertiveness and skills to handle problems

To be part of a group gives you a certain identity. It makes you feel important. The group can also make you feel very self-assured and assertive. You can apply it positively or negatively in your relationships with other people.

If you appear to be too self-assured and assertive and want to force your opinions onto other people, it can cause that you are experienced negatively. It can especially happen in your relationships with your parents and teachers. You can maybe end up in trouble often because the authority figures don’t agree with your behaviour.

It can cause problems for you if you want to satisfy both your group and your authority structures. It is important for you to learn problem-solving skills. It is important to stay positive when you solve problems.

Study the problem underneath – problem solving method: 1. What is the problem: Identify the problem. 2. What do you want to achieve by solving this problem? 3. Consult other people for ideas on how to solve the problem – therefore collect information regarding the problem. Do you know someone who had a similar problem? 4. Think about all the possible solutions and list all the various options. 5. Consider the pros and cons for every option. 6. Evaluate all your options and choose the best possible one. 7. See if your option has the desired outcome to the problem.

Remember that it can happen that your solution won’t have the desired outcome! Therefore you must revise it often and make adjustments.

Also refer back to Lesson 1 where we discussed conflict handling.

CORE CONTENT

This lesson is mostly about peer pressure or social pressure and it can influence an individual.

We had a look at the negative effects it can have on a person, as well as how the person can help him- or herself to solve the problem. It is important that the individual knows where to seek help.

The lesson makes the learner aware of the dangers of peer pressure and when it can have negative effects. It prepares the learner to identify bad situations and make informed choices.

It follows on from lesson 1 where we had a look at conflict management. A problem is a type of conflict and therefore the two goes hand in hand.

1.3.3 Where can I find help?

Your parents are firstly the best place to seek help. If you feel that you did wrong things due to peer pressure, your parents can support you.

You can talk to an older brother or sister or any other older person that might have been in the same situation. You can also talk to your pastor or youth leader.

More serious problems like drug or alcohol dependency demand more professional help and then you should seek help at a rehabilitation centre. Have a look on the Internet at www.rehab-centre.co.za. You will find a lot of information there.

FOR THE CURIOUS

Do research about the following drugs. They are the substances that are abused the most. You can use the Internet, magazine and the library for your research. Shortly write what each one is and how they influence the person who uses them.

1. Dagga (marijuana) 2. Alcohol 3. Tik 4. Mandrax 5. Cocaine 6. Heroine 7. This assignment does not count for marks. It is only to stimulate your interest and to make you aware of the dangers of drugs. In the facilitator’s guide there is information that can help you.