Peer pressure can not only bring about changes in behavior, but also thoughts, opinions, and feelings. While peer pressure is https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ most frequently used to describe the influence of friends on teenagers, all people can be subject to peer pressure. When a person has been pressured into unhealthy habits, a counselor can help the individual reevaluate and change their behavior.
The Psychology Behind Peer Pressure
She tailors interventions to individual needs, drawing from modalities like mindfulness, DBT, CBT, and EMDR. She typically works with people interested in taking a holistic approach to treating their addictions. This will include healthy eating, movement, meditation, mindfulness and spirituality. Outside of work, she’s a devotee of Krishna, and her friends call her Karunya Shakti, which means compassionate energy. She enjoys singing and dancing in kirtan and reading ancient Vedic literature like the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. If she weren’t so damn good at her job, she says she would probably be an electrical engineer.
What are the Different Types of Peer Pressure?
Unspoken pressure may be harder to resist because it can seem easier to go along with the crowd in order to fit in, especially when there’s no explicit pressure to do something. People who don’t feel pushed into something may have a harder time finding an opportunity to refuse. Instead of making snap decisions think through the scenario as well as the positive and negative impact each outcome can have on your life. Peer pressure can manifest as direct requests or indirect influence. It can be obvious (e.g., being asked to join in on something) or subtle (e.g., feeling pressured to conform to a group’s behavior).
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- Understanding these dynamics can help adults make conscious decisions about the groups they engage with and find ways to maintain genuine connections without compromising their comfort or well-being.
- By employing these frameworks, Megan empowers her clients to confront their realities and comprehend the tangible impact of systemic factors on their lives.
- This can include cyberbullying, online shaming, or promoting negative behaviors like substance abuse.
- Indirect peer pressure is similar to unspoken pressure in that it is subtle and not explicitly stated but can still strongly influence an impressionable young individual.
- Doing so will help students feel like they belong and that they are heard.
- For adults, recognising these influences can help them to make intentional choices about their health.
Whether you’re dealing with positive or negative pressure, taking proactive steps will help you make decisions that align with your best interests and long-term goals. Instead of influencing peers to follow good behaviors, negative peer pressure influences others to go against their moral code or values. Teens may look to the actions of teens with stronger personalities and follow their example, even if they don’t agree with them. For instance, a teen may know it’s wrong to drink alcohol while underage, but they may do it anyway because they want to be accepted by the group.
Peer pressure can take various forms at any point in life, with common examples including spoken and unspoken cues, direct and indirect approaches, and positive or negative influences. Positive peer pressure, on the other hand, can help prevent substance abuse and addiction. Research suggests simply having friends who choose not to smoke, use drugs, or drink alcohol can make it less likely young people will use substances. In adults, it may appear in the form of social or workplace pressures, such as conforming to certain behaviors or expectations in professional settings. To resist negative peer pressure, it’s essential to stay confident in your values, practice saying “no” when needed, and seek out supportive friends who respect your choices.
Peer pressure on social media across cultures
Making healthy decisions is a crucial part of growing up to be a healthy and happy individual. At first, our parents played the most important role in helping us make decisions. However, the opinions of peers have a more significant weight during our teen years, influencing how we choose what to do or what not to do.
Types of Peer Pressure: Understanding and Navigating Influence from Others
Originally from Nashville, TN, Jordan moved to Colorado with her family at age five. She has worked in behavioral health since graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 2019. Jordan developed her clinical approach in various inpatient, hospital, outpatient, and private practice settings. Jordan continued her studies and earned a master’s in clinical and mental health counseling. Between post-graduate work and additional training courses, she honed her skills in treating first responders and military personnel from a trauma-informed perspective. Jordan describes her approach as eclectic but most beneficial and includes a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and family-oriented practices.
Unspoken pressure to conform can play a significant role in substance use. According to a 2012 study, passive peer pressure has a greater effect on teen smoking than active pressure. In other words, teens with friends who smoke are more likely to also smoke. Peer pressure occurs when a peer group exerts direct or indirect pressure to do certain actions.
Childhood and adolescence
Understanding the underlying factors driving peer pressure can help recognize potentially negative situations while reinforcing positive behavior patterns amongst peers. Indirect Peer Pressure —indirect peer pressure is subtle but can still be toxic. Maybe you overhear some gossip about another person, and your behavior toward them changes based on the gossip alone.
By simply adhering to your own values and sharing them with a friend, you can positively peer pressure them to think before making a negative comment. Have you ever been pressured to have “one more drink,” or stay out later than you said you’d be home? If so, you’ve been a victim of peer pressure—chances are, most of us have. Peer pressure is the process by which members of the same social group influence sober house other members to do things that they may be resistant to, or might not otherwise choose to do.
She believes in healing the whole person in a safe and supportive environment. Jill enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, friends, and pets when she is not in the office. She spends most weekends in the mountains hiking, fishing, 4-wheeling, and camping. Jill is an avid photographer and particularly enjoys Colorado sunsets.
When a teen overhears a friend gossiping about another person and then reacts to the gossip, that is indirect peer pressure. Or if a middle schooler learns that the popular kids’ parties include alcohol or drugs, that indirect pressure may prompt them to experiment as a way to gain acceptance. Research has also shown that adults may face peer pressure in all sorts of ways, including pressures linked to social or financial decisions. In settings where peers have high “social capital” or influence, individuals are more likely to conform to group expectations to avoid social risks or feelings of exclusion. This influence can be particularly strong in work environments or long-term social networks where maintaining relationships is key to social acceptance. Peer pressure is the influence exerted by a peer group on its individual members to change their attitudes, values, or behaviors in order to conform to group norms.
