Basic 5 · Our World and Our People · Home and School
Understanding Peer Pressure
In this topic you will describe peer pressure, its types and its effects on adolescents.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Define peers and peer pressure
- Distinguish between positive and negative peer pressure
- Describe the effects of negative peer pressure
What you already know
- Adolescence
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- All About Us
- Sub-strand
- Home and School
- Indicator
- B5.1.4.1.1 – Describe skills for dealing with peer pressure
Introduction
Kojo's friends tell him, "Let's skip class and go and watch football. Everyone is doing it!" Kojo knows it is wrong, but he does not want to be left out. Kojo is facing peer pressure.
1. What Is Peer Pressure?
Peers: People of about the same age or class as you, such as classmates and friends.
Peer pressure: The influence that people of your age have on you to behave in a certain way.
Peer pressure can be spoken, such as when friends urge or tease you to do something. It can also be unspoken, such as when you copy others because you want to fit in. During adolescence, peer pressure becomes stronger because friends become very important.
2. Positive and Negative Peer Pressure
| Positive peer pressure | Negative peer pressure |
|---|---|
| friends encourage you to study hard | friends urge you to skip school |
| joining a club or sports team | smoking, drinking alcohol or taking drugs |
| keeping clean and neat | stealing or cheating |
| attending worship | watching harmful films |
| helping others | bullying others |
| avoiding bad company | early sexual activity |
3. Why Young People Give In
- They want to be accepted or popular.
- They fear being laughed at or called names.
- They are curious to try new things.
- They lack confidence or do not know how to say no.
- They want to look "grown up".
4. Effects of Negative Peer Pressure
Negative peer pressure can lead to poor performance in school, dropping out, addiction to drugs, alcohol and smoking, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, crime, conflicts with parents and a bad reputation. Some of these effects last for a lifetime. Choosing good friends is therefore one of the most important decisions an adolescent makes.
The Bible says, "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33). A Ghanaian saying puts it this way: "Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are."
New words
- peer
- A person of your own age group.
- peer pressure
- Influence from people of your age.
- influence
- The power to change someone's behaviour.
- positive
- Good and helpful.
- negative
- Bad and harmful.
- addiction
- Being unable to stop a harmful habit.
Summary
- Peers are people of your age; peer pressure is their influence.
- Peer pressure can be positive or negative.
- People give in to be accepted or out of fear.
- Negative peer pressure leads to poor grades, addiction and other problems.
Class activity: Pressure Sort
- Your teacher gives scenario cards.
- Sort them into positive and negative peer pressure.
- Discuss what could happen in each negative case.
You need: Printed local scenario cards, Hand puppet, Manila paper
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Friends encouraging you to study is…
- A. positive peer pressure
- B. negative peer pressure
- C. bullying
- D. addiction
Show answer
Answer: positive peer pressureIt helps you.2. Which is negative peer pressure?
- A. Being urged to smoke
- B. Joining a sports team
- C. Being encouraged to read
- D. Going to worship
Show answer
Answer: Being urged to smokeIt is harmful.3. Why do some adolescents give in to peer pressure?
- A. To be accepted
- B. To be punished
- C. To fail exams
- D. To be sick
Show answer
Answer: To be acceptedThey want to fit in.4. Peers are people of about your age.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueSuch as classmates.5. All peer pressure is bad.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseSome is positive.6. Being unable to stop a harmful habit is ______.
Show answer
Answer: addictione.g. to drugs.7. Give two effects of negative peer pressure.
Show answer
Answer: Poor school performance and drug addiction (or teenage pregnancy, crime).Any two.8. Explain the saying "Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are."
Show answer
Answer: Friends influence our behaviour, so people often behave like the friends they keep.Choose friends carefully.
Homework
- Write about a time you faced peer pressure and what you did.