Peer Pressure Information (Check out before our discussion on September 27 @ 7pm!)

Peer Pressure Information Sheet

supplied by Affirmative Fusion

According to a publication on peer pressure by Parent Further, only 10 percent of teenagers surveyed said that they had not been influenced by peer pressure. In that same group, 28 percent of teenagers agreed that giving into peer pressure improved their social standing and nearly half of those surveyed admitted to picking on someone only after a friend picked on that person.

Peer pressure and drugs:

• According to the Underage Research Drinking Initiative, two-thirds of 10th graders and two-fifths of 8th graders have tried alcohol.

• The Monitoring the Future Survey from the same initiative found that approximately 30 percent of 8th graders have used illicit drugs.
• The survey also made three conclusions about the effect of peer pressure on drug and alcohol use:
• Teens with friends who do drugs and drink alcohol are more likely to do the same.
• Teens who do drugs and drink alcohol are more likely to convince their friends to do it too.
• Teens who do drugs and drink alcohol are more likely to seek out other teens who do the same.

Peer pressure and Sex:

• As teenagers try to find their identity and acceptable roles, they also face pressure to give into their new sexual desires. A study from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that:

• One-third of teenage males feel pressure from their friends to have sex
• 23 percent of females feel pressure from their friends to have sex
• 44 percent of teens want more information on how to handle pressure to have sex and how to know when they are ready to have sex.
• 46 percent of parents have not discussed with their teens how to handle pressure to have sex

Positive Peer pressure:

• Not all peer pressure is bad peer pressure. Organizations such as the American Red Cross, use peer educators to teach teenagers about safe sex because they have found that teens are more likely to listen to positive messages when they come from those in their age group.

• The NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) suggests having older teens who do not use drugs or alcohol to talk to middle schoolers to help influence them to make positive choices.