In 2003, Director Catherine Hardwicke debuted her movie Thirteen, a film that would spark controversy upon its release for its explicit portrayal of teen sexual behavior, as well as drug and alcohol abuse. The film’s protagonist, thirteen year old Tracy, sheds her good-girl image when she meets Evie, who introduces her to a world of petty crime, sex, and drugs and alcohol. Tracy is somewhat reluctant to engage in some of those activities, but Evie always found a way to pressure her into things. Ultimately, the film tackled the taboo idea of peer pressure from the perspective of young teenage girls, a subject that often brings discomfort to people.
In its simplest definition, peer pressure is the ability to influence another’s decisions. More often than not, most of the people dealing with peer pressure are males and females in their early to mid-teen years. At this impressionable age, these adolescents are searching for ways to “fit in” amongst their peers, and are worried about their image and how others view them. Groups, cliques, and even individuals use peer pressure as a way to encourage their peers to change their attitude, behavior, or morals, to fit in a particular group. Peer pressure is a term that is often referred to in situations where young people engage in illegal or inappropriate acts, such as underage drinking, drug use, and sexual acts. At this point in these young adults’ lives, they are trying to find their own identity and define themselves as a person, and often times the metaphorical search for themselves leads to bad decisions and rebellious behavior influenced by peer pressure. A study conducted by the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base reported that about 30% if teens are given, offered, or sold drugs in middle school and high school. Also, marijuana use for adolescents rose 275% from 1992 to 1997 according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. In addition, another statistic from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse and Health from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services showed that 74.3% of high school students have tried alcohol. Finally, another fact from the Kaiser Foundation states that about 50% of teenagers feel pressured with regard to sex in relationships.
Despite the entire negative connotation that is attached to the idea of pressure, there are some positive aspects to it. When it comes to things such as school activities or sports, teens are still under the influence of peer pressure. The desire to stay included in these particular groups influence the way they act in an attempt to feel included and fit in. These scenarios do not necessarily lead teens to engage in illegal or harmful behavior, unlike negative peer pressure.
The effects of peer pressure can be severe for some teenagers. Peer pressure can be detrimental to the self-esteem of an individual, increase stress, and influence clear decision-making. Experimenting with drugs and alcohol can lead to dangerous situations, such as drinking and driving, alcohol poisoning, and drug overdoses. Engaging into sexual acts a teen is pressured into can lead to STDs or teen pregnancy. Negative peer pressure can also affect a teens home life, and relationships between parent and child can become tense and distant. At the other end of the spectrum, positive peer pressure can improve adolescent behavior when a teen surrounds themselves with friends who make good decisions and smart choices. Peer pressure can also improve a teenager’s confidence and self-esteem. It can also improve academic grades, and provide more open communication between teens and their family. Overall, whether good or bad, peer pressure is a very real issue that affects the youth and will often shape the people the teenagers will become later in life.
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