Peer Pressure in Teenagers

Peers are the colleagues or friends of your teen whom he/she meets everyday. There are some similarities in their ways of thinking and behavior which brings them close to their peers. Teens usually spend more time with their peers than they do with their parents, thus it is only natural that their peers have an effect on their thinking and lifestyle. It has been observed that peer pressure is sometimes constructive, while at other times destructive.

Whether the influence of peer pressure will be positive or negative on someone entirely depends on how his/her peers and friends are. If your teen stays in the company of good and sincere kids, he/she will get the opportunity to learn a lot from them. This will improve his/her personality and overall behavior.

You will see that over time he/she has become a mature person and has acquired the ability to take correct decisions. You will also notice that he/she succeeds in achieving his/her set goals and targets. Peers can urge you to do good things by providing emotional support at times.

Healthy competition among peers can help you enhance the academic as well as extra curricular performance of your teenage child.

However, if the peer pressure is negative, then it can severely hamper the progress of your child. Living in bad company can force the teens to acquire bad habits, such as drinking, smoking, and taking drugs. So, understanding the consequences of one's actions is essential to avoid falling into such a mess. Parents can play an important role in bringing their teens out of the peer pressure.

Peer pressure is something that is difficult to avoid even if the parents try their level best. However, parents can save their children from taking the wrong track in their lives by making them understand the difference between good and bad and by telling them what is good for them. This maturity can be attained over time with proper guidance and training.

Many times, teens are often frustrated when they see that their parents do not have time for them. The lack of communication can be quite dangerous as this frustration can drive the teens to do wrong things. You should initialize a dialog yourself and explain things related to their well-being in a friendly and easy way.

You should teach them ways of dealing with peer pressure and what to do in times of emergencies. Generating confidence in your children is very important, as teens with low self-confidence and emotional strength are more prone to give in to peer pressure.

The negative effects of peer pressure in teenagers can be observed by the increasing the number of youngsters getting involved in criminal acts. This has been a serious problem for teenagers all round the world, but we can pave the path of their progress by guiding them in a friendly way.