For many years and many more to come, peer pressure has been an issue for adolescents. Whether it is positive peer pressure or negative peer pressure, it can effect the adolescent. It is my goal to discover why adolescents succumb to peer pressure. I will bring a better understanding as to what peer pressure is. I will also discern the different effects it has on boys and girls, not just adolescents as a whole.
             Peer pressure is "when people your own age encourage you to do something or to keep from doing something else, no matter if you personally want to or not" (Brown, 1986, p. 522. In this paper I will study adolescents and peer pressure. Adolescents are more vulnerable to this because they are young and impressionable. In a time of uncertainty (adolescence) a child will do almost anything to feel acceptance. For example, if an adolescent sees a peer ( peer: a child or adolescent who is about the same age or maturity level) smoking a cigarette, they may feel inclined to do the same because they think it will make themcool?. They adolescent knows that they shouldn't be smoking, but they do it anyway despite their morals. This is a prime example of peer pressure.
             Positive peer pressure is when the peer pressure is for the better. It is, for example, when a peer tries to get you to go to church, or join an activity. Unlike negative peer pressure ( negative peer pressure: peer pressure that makes the child want to do bad or negative things). A parent could help their adolescent recognize the difference between positive and negative peer pressure. In doing this, the parent could save their child from a lot of trouble and hardship in their adolescence.
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