Being a social animal, humans like spending much of their time with their peers. Children enjoy spending time with their friends and yearn to be a member of a social circle. Research suggests that being a member of a social circle from a young age holds a promising development of social and professional personality in adulthood. In a peer-rich atmosphere that fosters their developing self-efficacy, children can learn a lot of knowledge and skills. Children can receive support from peers to help them realize their full potential and can practice social skills in a supportive and safe atmosphere.
As enriching the benefits of a peer group are, children also struggle with the difficulties of maintaining a healthy peer influence. One of the biggest problems that both children and parents are afflicted by is peer pressure. Peer pressure is the method through which members of the same social group persuade their fellow members to take actions that they may be hesitant to take or might not otherwise take. Peer pressure may range from some harmless fun like dressing a certain way, to socially risky behaviors like vandalism or using drugs. In India, 78% of people start drinking alcohol under pressure from friends and out of them, 28% admitted that they have started drinking just to look cool.
Children often struggle with the desire to impress their peers and feel a sense of belonging whilst being rooted to their moral principles. This often results in abandoning their morals and engaging in behaviors that might ensure their acceptance in their peer group. Teenagers and young adults are privy to give into peer pressure more than younger children. Parental supervision is very vital during such developmental stages. How can parents guide their teenagers without the risk of being shunned by their child? There are a few techniques parents can employ. Try being involved in your child’s life from a young age, allowing them to develop a sense of trust in you. If you feel that your teenager doesn’t trust you, right now is a good time to start spending quality time with them. Find common interests and bond over them. Refrain from forcing bonding time and trust development, as it develops gradually over time and has better chances of your teenager feeling comfortable with you. Other ways could include allowing them to blame you if they feel they cannot say no to a particular demand from their peers, deciding on a code word that they can use to help them get out of a situation, sharing family values with them occasionally, celebrating their achievements to help them feel valued at home, and accepting them irrespective of their wins or losses to aid them feel secured in the family.
Sometimes, because of peer pressure, the child might make a bad choice. Stay calm if it does happen. Discipline your child, while at the same time knowing that it’s a great chance for him to learn about choices and be able to refuse.
