We see the bad effects of peer pressure in South Africa every day—most of us just don’t realize what we’re looking at. The sweet neighborhood kid who suddenly turned to a life of crime. The innocent teenager whose addiction to drugs seemed to come out of nowhere.
More often than not, these are all the effects of peer pressure. When your child steps out into the world, there’s no telling the kind of people they’ll meet. And sadly, one conversation, one subtle prompt, is enough to convince them to try something they normally wouldn’t.
Understanding the bad effects of peer pressure is the first step to protecting your child. The more you know, the better you can protect them—and we know that’s the most important thing to you.
What is Peer Pressure?
Before we dive into the bad effects of peer pressure, it’s important to define what peer pressure actually means.
Peer pressure is the weight your teenager feels when they want to fit in or their friends try to convince them to do something. This definition speaks to the different types of peer pressure.
When your teenager’s desire to fit in leads them to make choices they ordinarily wouldn’t make, then that’s indirect peer pressure. It usually doesn’t involve spoken words but rather subliminal messages your teen picks up.
For example, everyone in school getting a piercing means piercings are “cool”. This might push them to want one of their own.
Other teens may experience the bad effects of peer pressure through direct pressure like a friend forcing them to come study at the library. We decided to use a positive example here because despite what most South Africans think, there are also positive effects of peer pressure. But unfortunately, the bad often outweighs the good.
The Bad Effects of Peer Pressure on Teenagers
Let’s talk about the negative effects of peer pressure. There are many ways peer pressure can affect your teens, and sadly, the bad effects of peer pressure can linger long after the influence has been removed.
Here are some ways peer pressure can affect teenagers in South Africa:
- Impact on Mental Health: The bad effects of peer pressure on teenage mental health can include anxiety, depression, and stress. These are all mental health issues that have lasting effects on your teen’s life. This is why mental health awareness is so important.
- Peer Pressure and Risky Behaviors: Many teens have gotten involved with substance abuse due to influence from their peers. There are real stories of peer pressure pushing teens into drug use, and eventually addiction.
- Loss of Identity: Peer pressure makes teenagers conform to standards, expectations, and beliefs that they might not hold. This leads to them losing their individuality and making decisions that don’t align with their values. The long-lasting effect of this is low self-esteem and lack of trust in their own decisions.
- Peer Pressure’s Role in Academic Decline: If you’ve ever asked yourself, what are the effects of peer pressure on students? Here’s your answer: Teenagers who are dealing with peer pressure usually struggle to excel in school. The distractions from peers often lead to disengagement. They might also be convinced to cheat during tests and exams because their friends are doing it.
Signs Your Teenager is Being Affected by Peer Pressure
There are always signs to look out for, and knowing how to spot the bad effects of peer pressure early can prevent deeper harm. We’ve divided the signs into two categories:
Behavioral Changes to Watch For
Some behavioral signs include changing their friendship circles, altered habits, and secretive behavior. Emotional withdrawal is one of the subtle bad effects of peer pressure. Teens experiencing peer pressure may also drop one group of friends for another because they want to fit in with the new friend group.
You might notice that they hide messages on their phones and strive to keep everything private. Altered habits like disinterest in academics are also something to look out for. A drop in academic performance is one of the negative effects of peer pressure on students.
Emotional and Mental Symptoms
Symptoms such as mood swings, stress, and withdrawal from family activities are emotional and mental signs of peer pressure. They could also be signs of cyberbullying, which is any act of bullying that takes place online. If you notice these drastic emotional changes, be sure to intervene immediately.
If these emotional and mental symptoms are left unchecked, they could have dire consequences. Mood swings may not seem like something to worry about but it could become depression, or worse suicidal depression. This is a type of depression that is accompanied by suicidal thoughts.
Learn more about teenage suicide and how you can help as a parent.
Positive vs. Negative Peer Pressure
Positive peer pressure is a type of peer pressure that influences your kids to do the right things. Unlike negative peer pressure, positive peer pressure can lead to good outcomes like academic achievement, healthy habits, and kindness.
Since we’ve discussed the bad effects of peer pressure. Let’s take a look at some positive ones. But what are the positive effects of peer pressure?
Here are 6 positive effects of peer pressure:
- Academic Excellence
- Boosted Self Confidence
- Healthy Habits and Lifestyle
- Volunteering to Help the Community
- Positive Financial Behaviours
- Personal Development
How to Help Your Teen Navigate Peer Pressure
Peer pressure has a way of pushing teens toward behaviors they know aren’t right. As a parent, you can spend years telling your kid why substance abuse is wrong but one party where everyone is doing drugs or one afternoon with a group of older kids who drink can undo all your hard work.
So what’s the solution? Should you lock your kid up in a desperate attempt to keep the bad effects of peer pressure away?
The answer to that is no.
Peer pressure is terrifying but separating your kid from the world isn’t the solution. What you need to do is teach your teen how to resist peer pressure and stand up for themself.
Here are some ways you can do that:
- Encourage Open Communication: Show your teens that you are a safe space for them by encouraging communication and having honest conversations.
- Help Them Build Self-Esteem and Confidence: With strong self-esteem and confidence, your teens can resist peer pressure and stay safe.
- Teach Them How To Say No And Mean No: Teaching teens to say “no” is a powerful way to fight the bad effects of peer pressure.
- Encouraging Positive Peer Influences: Be involved in your teen’s life and encourage them to find friends that have positive influences on their behavior.
Conclusion
Fighting the bad effects of peer pressure is never a one-and-done job. As your child grows, goes out into the world, and interacts with peers, there’s always that risk. But when you understand the risk and put measures in place to prevent it, you can prevent your teen from falling victim.
And even when your teen succumbs to peer pressure, you can still reverse the bad effects of peer pressure by being supportive and guiding them back to the right path.
FAQs on Peer Pressure and Teenagers
What are the effects of peer pressure on teenage pregnancy?
Peer pressure can lead to teenage pregnancy because teens might get influenced to engage in early or unprotected sex before they are emotionally or mentally ready. They might do this to fit in with peers, to be accepted, or to avoid rejection.
How do I talk to my teenager about peer pressure?
Talking to teens about peer pressure requires a gentle touch. Avoid being harsh with them. Instead, listen, and don’t be judgemental in your response. Encourage them to share their struggles with peer pressure. Then give them advice and prepare them to resist peer pressure the next time it comes up.
