Peers and Peer Pressure

Presented By: Stewart Churchill Cassandra Dodsworth Brad Jones Pheilm Martin Sandeep Bansi Neal Tremblett

Peers and Peer Pressure

Presentation outline:
Theory Friendship Peer Groups Gender and Culture Love, SEX, and Relationships

Peers and Peer Pressure

Definitions
Peer Peer Pressure Social Cognition Conformity

Social Psychology & Social Cognition

Social cognitive skills Peer relations Development of social cognitive skills/ knowledge Formal Vs. Informal Education

Conformity
Conformity Nonconformity Anti-conformity

Theory and Peer Pressure

In researching the theory surrounding peer pressure I came across 3 major ideas I feel are appropriate: Containment Theory Drift or Neutralization Theory Social Judgment Theory

Containment Theory
theory addresses why we do and dont commit to certain activities

Explains that social forces (internal) and psychological forces (external) work together to keep behavior in check.
Containment Theory is linked to self esteem

Person with strong internal control resists external pressure

Person with weak internal control, but has strong external control, (ie has a good peer group, family, etc, ) can resist external pressure

 internal pushes restlessness, anger, rebelling, anxiety and other negative emotional states External pushes limitation to ones ability to success in life SES, poverty, unemployment, discrimination External pulls negative effect a peer group has on a person Containment Theory and Peer Pressure

Ex: by following a peer group that is involved in drugs, that individual will find pressure by more dominant member of that peer group to be involved in drugs.

Drift or Neutralization Theory

adolescents sense a moral obligation to be bound by the law and rules

When adolescents are not supervised, they stray this leads to activities that are not accepted by society
Example: The law states that you cannot legally smoke until you are 19: under the ideas on DNT, adolescents recognize this law but under the right circumstance, or lack of supervision, they stray and smoke.

Drift Theory and Peer Pressure

DT recognizes 2 major obstacles:

1. Adolescents express guilt over performing socially unacceptable acts. 2. Adolescents who are leaders recognize those who can be easily victimized (or pressured) within their peer groups to do partake in socially unacceptable acts. What the theory states is that if a leader knows you are easily manipulated, then the chances of you to be peer pressured are much higher.

** DT relates more to delinquent behavior but can be used to also explain peer pressure.

Social Judgment Theory

theory focuses on how people evaluate persuasive messages and how such evaluations affect whether or not the persuasion occurs In other words, the amount of pressure or persuasion that an adolescent gets determines whether they take part in the activity An adolescent has a preferred position called an anchor point. This anchor point acts as a reference point against which all other positions are evaluated. If the activity seems to be justified by the individual then they participate. It may be ok to smoke, but steal a car is out of the question.

Friendship
Definition Friendship: The state of being friends; friendly relation, or attachment, to a person, or between persons; affection arising from mutual esteem and good will; friendliness; amity; good will. A Friend:

A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement:

The Functions of Friendships- Why do we make friends? 1. Companionship 2. Simulation 3. Physical Support 4. Ego Support 5. Social Comparison 6. Intimacy/ Affection

Different types of Friends

Same Sex Friendships

Opposite Sex Friendships

Mixed Age Friendships

Sibling Friendships

Friend Formation- Two important Characteristics Similarity Adolescence friendships are formed based on similarities between gender, sex, ethnicity interests, attitudes, beliefs and age-groups. In early adolescence, friends seem to share the importance of schooling and career goals. Complementarity is an important psychological aspect for close friendships too. About 60% of adolescents have friends with similar interests. Intimacy Intimacy in Friendship: this is defined narrowly as self-disclosure or sharing of private thoughts. Intimacy was more prominent in 13-16 years old then 10-13 years old (Buhrmester, 1990). An intimate group of friends range from 5-20 people. A case study by Claes.

Disadvantages of a Teen with No Friends:

lower self-esteem and self-worth loneliness depression feel rejection

Interventions: As a teacher: Promote adolescents to get involved in after school activities such as, sport teams, yearbook, art club etc. Use group projects to help students interact Find creative ways to introduce the class to one another such as name games or by telling stories.

What is a peer group? A peer group is conceived as a small group of similarly aged, fairly close friends, sharing the same activities What are the factors that contribute to the formation of peer groups. Sowing autonomy from family and parents. Cognitive changes that enables adolescents to see situations from another person's point of view.

What is the importance of peer groups during adolescence?

They play a significant role in the process of developing social identity. Social identity is important for developing social skills and eventually ones own personal identity.

Social Identity One of the main mechanisms of achieving an identity during the teenage years is having a sense of social status among their peers It gives them emotional support with people their own age. Personal Identity Peer groups provide adolescents with a temporary identity while working toward a more concrete personal identity.

Negative Peer Pressure within the Group Some teenage peer groups encourage drug use, delinquent activities and poor school performance. Kids who join groups for social and emotional support. Some adolescents don't receive enough affection and approval from their parents so they seek approval from their friends. Adolescents judged by group members to be less important to the group as a whole are more susceptible to peer influences. Some adolescents that are susceptible to peer pressure blame themselves for whatever goes wrong.

Effective Strategies for Coping With Peer Pressure within Negative Peer Groups
Abandon the stereotype of peers as a uniformly negative influence on youth. Nurture teenagers' abilities and self-esteem so they can forge positive peer relationships. Empower parents and educators to help teenagers pursue and maintain positive peer relationships. Encourage cross-ethnic and "cross-class" peer interactions and guide teenagers in dealing positively with cultural diversity and individual differences. Support parent education programs for families with teenagers. Establish intervention programs for preadolescents with low social skills or aggressive tendencies.

Education and Peer Groups in Saskatchewan To meet the need for instructional resources that complement new curricula, the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation sponsored a professional development session and a unit writing workshop for teachers. Middle Level Health Education Peer Pressure Unit - A Required Unit for Grade 7

Cultural Peer Relations: Why study cultural peer relations?

- the study of cultural peer relations will help us as teachers understand who OUR students are, and why they may behave the way they do - cultural peer relations may be broken into two categories: Individualism and Collectivism

Individualism students raised in a belief system that encourages personal autonomy and individuality. Collectivism students raised in a belief system that encourages people to work towards a common goal and a greater collective responsibility for the welfare of others

Examples of cultural peer relations

- studies suggest shy and sensitive children aged 7-10 were rejected by their peers - Chinese-Canadian children who possessed similar characteristics of shyness and sensitivity were accepted by their peers - by adolescence however, children who were shy and sensitive were rejected by their peers regardless of their cultural background - this is a specifically prevalent amongst many Chinese-Canadian adolescences - researchers attribute this to the Chinese culture which place great values on the rejection of verbal aggression, avoidance of direct confrontation, and expression of feelings
- another example of a highly collective society is Latin American adolescences - For ex. Costa Ricans possess more positive relationships amongst their siblings, parents, best friends, and teachers than their American peers - specifically, Costa Rican adolescences report a greater companionship amongst their mothers and siblings than their American peers - in contrast, American children placed greater companionship amongst their peers

Overall Picture

- Students often choose friends from the same ethnic and racial group - low rates of cross-race and cross-ethnic friendships amongst peers - psychologists have coined this phenomena as re-segregation Solutions
- identify the problem - encourage students to share their cultural backgrounds - promote cross-race and cross-ethnic group activities

Gender Peer Relations: - Some cultures promote gender segregation -Even in countries that do not promote gender segregation, it still exists -(ex. Genders playing with the same sex during preschool) - Many psychologists attribute this to the fact that boys and girls receive more positive feedback when playing with their own gender.

Implications: - gender segregation is believed to have an important influence in childhood development - gender segregation encourages boys to be aggressive and create hierarchies amongst their peers -gender segregation reinforces stereotypes. -(i.e. Boys should play with construction sets because it fosters problem solving skills. Girls should play with dolls because it encourages them to be affectionate) Solutions: - create cross-gender interactions - create training programs that counter stereotypes - avoid using genders as a form of organizing classes

Love, Sex and Relationships

What is love and why is it important? What is sex and how does it differ from love? What are relationships and why do we need them?

Love
What is Love?
- Love is a feeling (an emotion). - There is no "right" definition of love that suits everybody. - Love involves feelings of romance & attraction.

Sex
What is Sex?
- Sex is an event or act (physical). - There are different kinds of sex, but all kinds of sex have some things in common. - Sex may or may not involve penetration. - Sex can happen between a male & a female, between two females, between two males, between more than two people, or by one's self (masturbation).

Relationships
What is a relationship?
- A particular type of connection existing between people related to or having dealings with each other. - A romantic or sexual involvementor both

Why should I have sex?

(according to teens)

Think about some of the reasons people give for why you should start having sex. How would you respond to each of these? - "If you have sex, you'll be more popular." - "If you have sex, you won't have to think about feelings - it can just be physical." - "If you have sex, people won't wonder whether you're gay." - "Everybody's doing it." - "The first time's no big deal. Why not just get it over with?" - "Your folks are telling you NOT to have sex? So you still listen to your parents, huh?"

Reasons to have sex

Some teenagers decide to have sexual relationships because their friends think sex is cool. Others feel pressured by the person they are dating.

Still others find it easier to give in and have sex than to try to explain why not.
Some teenagers get caught up in the romantic feelings and believe having sex is the best way they can prove or demonstrate their love.

Ways to Avoid Peer or Date Pressure:

Hang out with friends who also believe that it's OK to not be ready for sex yet. Date several people and hang out with different groups of people. Go out with a group of friends rather than only your date. Introduce your friends to your parents. Invite your friends to your home. Always carry money for a telephone call or cab in case you feel uncomfortable. Stick up for your friends if they are being pressured to have sex. Think of what you would say in advance in case someone tries to pressure you. Be ready to call your mom, dad or a friend to pick you up if you need to leave a date. Never feel obligated to "pay someone back" with sex in return for an expensive date or gift. Say "no" and mean "no" if that's how you feel.

What can we do as educators?

1. 2. 3. 4.

4 strategies to help facilitate decision-making for students with respect to sex: provide access to information provide clarification of feelings and related attitudes provide an investigation of possible alternative actions and probable outcomes for each provide help in deciding on a course of action that will be right for the individual.

Concern: Students dont see teachers as creditable sources for sex education. Solution: Teaching about sex must be done by trusted and sensitive teachers, secure in their own sexuality and able to cope with discussion of a wide range of views they do not necessarily share.

Strategies for adolescents

How can adolescents deal with sexual peer pressure?
Abstinence Sex education Support systems Alternate ways to express love without sex

Conclusion

Questions/Discussion

References

The Development of Social Competence in Children http://www.vtaide.com/png/ERIC/Dev-Social-Competence.htm Social Cognition Paper Archive and Information Center http://www.indiana.edu/~soccog/scarch.html Prospective on Persuasion, Social Influence and Compliance Gaining - Seiter, Gass, 2004 Book was used for some social theory and basic social ideas. Schneider, Barry H. Friends and Enemies: Peer Relations in Childhood. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. (This book gave us some insight into the relationship between culture and peer relations. Specifically, the book included case studies and solutions to the problems that are prevalent in cultural peer relations.) Leaper, Campbell. Childhood Gender Segregation: Causes and Consequences. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. (This book gave us some insight into the relationship between genders and peer relations. Unlike a number of the other books we read, this book integrated cultural ties to gender peer relations.)

Reference Continued
Cotterell John. (1996) Social Networks and Social Influences in Adolescence, London and New York, Routledge. Jackson S. and Rodriguez-Tome H. (1993) Adolescence and its Social Worlds, United Kingdom, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Ltd., Publishers. Moore, Susan et al.. Sexuality in Adolescence. New York: Routledge, 1993. - The focus was on the section pertaining to peer pressure in sex and also sex education strategies. Sex on the brain. http://www.iwannaknow.org/brain2/peerpressure.html - A website created to help adolescents find answers to questions about peer pressure and sex. Peer pressure & teen sex. http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030522-000002.html - An article that deals with recent research done in respect to peer pressure and sex.