Peer pressure

Peer groups are groups of friends who are all about the same age. Having a group of friends is one of the most important things of being a teenager. It is important for parents to understand the value of peer groups for young people. Peer groups can have positive or negative influence in teenager’s life. They can also be a big challenge for parents.

As the world we live in continues to become more complex, so too is peer pressure becoming more evident and frequent in today's life. At certain time in our lives, we will have to face peer pressure. I remember my friend he was two years older than me and was a secondary school student. He had to face peer pressure in 7th grade. There was always pressure from other boys to take up smoking, wag classes or to behave in a unrespectable manner. They asked him if he would like to join their group. Fortunately he knew what’s good and what’s bad. He told the students that smoking was not very cool at all and that he would rather get an education than a detention! But for many, the idea of saying “No” to a peer pressure group is too frightening.