A Cross-Sectional Study on Peer Pressure on Adolescents of School Going Age in Southern India

Abstract

Background: A peer is a person of the same age, status, or ability as another specified person. Peer pressure is the influence of peers on people resulting in change in behaviour which could be positive or negative. As adolescent start exploring their identity towards functional independence, the teen peer relationship plays an important role. This could result in the adolescent giving more importance to the opinions and lifestyle of peer and chances of the adolescent going astray. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among school going adolescents of 15-18 years age group. The children were administered a pre-designed, semi-structured questionnaire on peer, parents, friends and their influence in studies, self-esteem, negative habits like smoking and alcoholism. The data collected was analysed using descriptive analytic method. Results: 242 students participated in the study. Adolescents preferred long term friendships (84.3%) and friendship with same gender (82.6%) while making friends. Majority of adolescents admitted to have good quality time spent with parents (96.7%) and considered parents as the most influential persons in their lives (88.2%). Teen peer relationship resulted in improvement of academic performance in 61.2% of the respondents. Negative peer influences were seen in few like alcohol intake (5%) and cigarette smoking (2.5%). Conclusion: Parents are the people who wield the most influence on Adolescents of school going age group in Southern India. Peer group by and large have a positive impact on the school going adolescent.