PEER PRESSURE AND TEENS

■ The peer group Among peers you can find friendship

• Do you have a big or a
Peers are people of the same age with and acceptance, they can set good
small group of friends?
• How long have you known interests similar to yours. As teenagers examples, they can encourage you to do
them? become more independent, as school your best, they listen to you and give
and other activities take adolescents you feedback and advice and empathise
away from home, they spend more time with you.
with peers than with their parents and
siblings. ■ Negative peer pressure
Who is the first person you Teenagers will probably develop close However, sometimes peers may pressure
talk to when you have a
friendships with some of their peers, and teens into doing something they are
problem?
they will feel so connected to them that uncomfortable with, such as shoplifting,
they are like an extended family . trying drugs or drinking, taking
dangerous risks .
Can you give examples of ■ Identifying with peers The pressure to conform (to do what
dangerous risks?
It is in human nature to identify and others are doing) can be powerful and
compare with our peers. Adolescents hard to resist.
are influenced by peers because they
How can you teach your want to fit in, be like others they admire, ■ Self-confidence is the key
teenager to say ‘no’ to peer do what they are doing, or have what People may feel pressure to conform
pressure? others have. Teen years can be difficult. in order to fit in or be accepted. When
posted by Elizabeth O’Shea – Teens are understanding who they are, people are unsure of what to do in a
www.parent4success.com
what they believe, what they are good at, social situation, they naturally look to
what their responsibilities are and where others for cues about what is and is not
their place is in the world, so it is easy to acceptable.
ONLINE RESOURCES understand how comforting the idea may Responding to peer pressure is part of
be of facing these challenges with friends human nature – but some people give in
• Toxic friends: when of their own age. more easily while others are better able
friendship is no longer
healthy
to resist. People who are low in
■ Peer pressure is not all bad confidence, or new to the group, and
Peers have a positive influence on each those who tend to follow, rather than lead,
other and play important roles in each might look for their peers’ approval and
other’s lives. accept a risky challenge or suggestion .
to be uncomfortable with:
essere a disagio nel (fare
qualcosa)
challenge: sfida
close /kləʊs/: (qui) intimo,
stretto
comforting: rassicurante
confidence: sicurezza di sé,
autostima
cue /kju:/: indicazione
to empathise /ˈɛmpəɵaɪz/:
immedesimarsi
to fit in: conformarsi a
to give in: essere
arrendevole
to lead: condurre
to set: (qui) dare
shoplifting: taccheggio,
furto in un negozio
siblings /ˈsɪblɪŋz/: fratelli e
sorelle

164 ADOLESCENCE
5 Answer the following questions.
A CELEBRITY WHO WAS CAUGHT SHOPLIFTING
1. Why are teens more exposed to the influence of Don’t ask Megan Fox to shop at Walmart. She will say no. In
their peers? 2009, the Daily Express revealed that the Transformers star was
2. Why might teens feel influenced by their peers? banned from the chain store as a teenager after getting caught
trying to steal makeup.
3. Why are the teen years difficult?
4. Is peer influence always negative?
5. Mention two examples of positive peer pressure.
6. When is peer pressure negative?
7. Which teenagers are more at risk of conforming to
negative peer pressure?
8. Why do they accept risky challenges?

O
R
D
6 W S The following are tips for parents/teachers
on how to help teenagers react to negative peer
pressure. Match the two halves of the sentences
(1-6 to a-f).
1. Teach teens to have a. limits and say no.

2. Teach teens to look b. away from stressful 7 4.7

3. Teach teens to set
4. Teach teens to stay
5. Teach teens to
develop
6. Teach teens to get
situations.
c. an adult’s help if
a situation seems
dangerous.
d. decision-making skills.
e. the confidence to walk
away.
f. for positive peer
partners within the
group.
10. How did the police reply?
Susan experienced negative peer
pressure. Listen to the recording and answer
the questions.
1. When did it take place?
2. Where did it take place?
3. What did Susan’s friends ask her to do?
4. What did she do?
5. Why did Susan’s mum call her?
6. What was happening when Susan answered
the phone?
7. Where was she taken?
8. What was she charged with?
9. How did Susan’s mum react when she arrived?

8 Imagine you are giving teenagers advice

on how to react to negative peer pressure.
Use the tips from Activity 6 and start as
suggested below.
You should be confident and walk away from
negative peer pressure.

2 • MYSELF AND THE OTHERS 165


• What social media are
you on?
• Have you ever blocked
any contact? Why?
Information may be
accessible to schools,
employers, colleges, clubs,
and others who may be
researching an individual
and can spoil a person’s
reputation.
Most online platforms have
a block and report function,
so you can block and report
the offending users to the
appropriate social media
platform.
Has your school organised
projects or meetings to
explain what cyberbullying
is and how to prevent it? If
so, what did you learn?
concern /kənˈsɜ:n/:
aspetto preoccupante,
preoccupazione
content: contenuto
device: dispositivo
embarrassment /
imˈberəsmənt/: imbarazzo
gaming: piattaforme di
gioco online
harmful: dannoso
record: registrazione
relief: sollievo
stranger: estraneo
168 ADOLESCENCE
CYBERBULLYING
■ What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes
place over digital devices like
smartphones, computers, and tablets.
Cyberbullying can occur through
SMS, texts, and apps, or online in
social media, forums, or gaming,
where people can view, participate
in, or share content. It includes
sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful or false content about someone else.
It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing
embarrassment or humiliation.
Some cyberbullying is considered illegal or criminal behaviour.
■ Special concerns
With the prevalence of social media and digital forums, comments, photos, posts and
content shared by individuals can often be viewed by strangers as well as people you
know. The content an individual shares online
creates a kind of permanent public record of their
views, activities. and behaviour. This public record
represents an online reputation, which may be
accessible to everyone . Cyberbullying can harm
the online reputations of everyone involved – not
just the person being bullied, but those doing the
bullying or participating in it.
Cyberbullying has unique concerns because
it can be persistent (so it can be difficult for
children experiencing cyberbullying to find
relief), permanent (if not reported and
removed ), hard to notice – teachers and
parents may not see cyberbullying taking
place, making it difficult to recognise.
13 Here are some tips for a safe use of social 15 4.9
Listen and fill in the blanks.
media. Match the items in the column on the left
(1-6) to the ones on the right (a-f). The Internet can be a 1. ........................................... place
1. Consider a. What happens if someone searches these days, especially because of cyberbullying.
setting your your social media? Posts stay on the It’s difficult to open a 2. ........................................... and
profile to internet forever – unless you delete not see a story about this. It’s a really nasty
private. them!
and growing problem. Cyberbullies are real
2. Switch off b. If someone is harassing or bullying
your location. you, you don’t have to tolerate it. cowards. They 3. ........................................... behind their

3. Think about c. Some websites allow you to review computer and scare people, send them hate
your digital or switch off others tagging you 4. ........................................... or threaten them. Even worse
footprint. in images so you can ensure all is when they publish 5. ........................................... of their
photos you’re tagged in are ones
you’re happy to have shared! victims online. I have a friend who had a really bad

4. Don’t be d. All social media platforms have time at the 6. ........................................... of a cyberbully. He
afraid to rules and allow you to report or she spread lots of 7. ........................................... and lies
block. abusive comments. on the Internet. My friend’s 8. ...........................................
5. Turn off e. That way you will only be sharing with was badly damaged. A really bad thing is
tagging. the people you want to share with.
how 9. ........................................... cyberbullying starts.
6. Report f. Ensure only the people you trust
Many students physically bully others in class
trolling. know where you are!
and then continue online. Their victim isn’t
R
10. ........................................... anywhere.
O D
14 W S Find synonyms for the following words in
the text on the previous page.
1. happen ...........................................

2. illicit ...........................................

3. people ...........................................

4. available ...........................................

5. continuous ...........................................

6. alleviation ...........................................

16 Debate. Look at the questions below, ask

TROLLS AND HATERS and answer them in turns and take notes about
In social media, a troll is a person who deliberately starts
your classmates’ answers. Then create a class
arguments in the comments sections of websites. Often they do presentation about cyberbullying.
not even believe in what they are writing, they just do it because • What is cyberbullying? Can you give examples of
they enjoy behaving in a provocative or offensive way. how it could happen?
Another negative personality in social media, a hater is someone
• How is it different from physical bullying? Is it worse?
who posts negative opinions about other people. It might be
inspired by hate, jealousy or simply boredom. These people, • Why might someone be cyberbullied?
hiding behind anonymity, often use racist language to insult • Can you name some adjectives that could describe
individuals (sometimes very famous people) or immigrants, someone who is being cyberbullied?
women, homosexuals, people of other religions, disabled, etc. • What would happen in your school if they found out
The advice is usually to just ignore them or inform the police. someone had been cyberbullying another student?

2 • MYSELF AND THE OTHERS 169