Influence Of Peer Group Pressure On Adolescents Smoking Habits
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Influence Of Peer Group Pressure On Adolescents Smoking Habits
ABSTRACT
The study looks at how peer group pressure affects adolescent smoking practices in some chosen secondary schools in Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos State. The influence of peer group pressure on adolescent smoking habits is now posing a greater hazard to adolescent health than it was previously.
As a result, the government, parents, and society have recognised the importance of finding a long-term solution to reducing the prevalence of smoking among teenagers.
The study’s principal aims are to investigate the impacts of peer group pressure on teenage smoking behaviours, to analyse the detrimental effects of smoking on adolescent health, and to investigate counter-measures and their efficacy against smoking among adolescents.
The study draws on data from both primary and secondary sources. For primary data, a questionnaire field survey was used. Secondary data is sourced from textbooks, magazines, and internet materials.
The study reveals some key conclusions. One, smoking is a behaviour that is encouraged not only by peers and family members who smoke, but also by large-scale media efforts that promote tobacco use. Second, peer pressure is not necessarily negative.
In reality, there is more beneficial peer influence than negative. Three, adolescents who smoke do so out of fear of being rejected by their peers.
The survey found that parents, society, and the government, among others, are doing everything they can to prevent adolescents from smoking. They believe that doing so will make them more helpful to themselves and society.
Chapter one
1.0 Introduction.
The purpose of this study is to critically investigate the influence of peer pressure on adolescents’ smoking habits in several selected schools in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Youth peer pressure is one of the most common types of peer pressure among young people. It is especially frequent because most children spend a significant amount of time in fixed groups (schools and subgroups within them), regardless of their feelings towards those groups. Additionally, they may lack the maturity to deal with pressure from ‘friends’.
Furthermore, young people are more likely to act adversely towards others who are not members of their own groups. However, youth peer pressure can have a good impact.
For example, if one is connected with a group of individuals who are ambitious and strive for success, one may feel pushed to emulate them in order to avoid being removed from the group.
Teenagers believe that they must be in the same group to be considered ‘cool’ or “in”. As a result, young people will feel pressured to improve themselves in order to have a better future. This is very common among young people who participate in athletics or other extracurricular activities that need a strong sense of conformity to their social group.
1.1 Background for the Study:
Peer groups are a normal, necessary, and beneficial aspect of teenage development. Peer groups provide the protection of a ”safety net” while youngsters struggle to create an own identity and grow less dependent on their parents. Peer groups allow teenagers to socialise with people their own age.
Their buddies provide teens with companionship, emotional support, and a sense of belonging. Gather peer knowledge and practise social skills. Teens learn that they are not alone in their feelings of fear and insecurity, and that others are also struggling.
Peer interactions can have a significant positive impact on the lives of adolescents. According to natural observations of adolescents, the majority of them discuss choices with their peers before deciding what to do.
Rarely is one adolescent forced to adapt to the rest of the group. Furthermore, secondary school students in several large samples reported that their friends discouraged drug and alcohol use, delinquent activities, and other forms of antisocial behaviour more than they encouraged them, and that their friends encouraged studying for school subjects more than they discouraged it.
Some adolescents even exhibit anticonformity, rejecting their peers’ judgements and choosing entirely opposite options. Friendships inherently limit the use and effectiveness of coercive pressure since they are founded on equality and mutual respect; as a result, decisions are decided through negotiation rather than dominance.
Adolescents prefer friends with admirable features or talents, which motivates them to succeed and act in the same way as their friends do. Friends inspire adolescents to work hard in school and might help them think more imaginatively.
High-achieving friends improve teenagers’ school happiness, educational expectations, report card grades, and standardised achievement test results.
Students that enjoy school, achieve good grades, and are engaged in education. Also, they are more likely to complete secondary school. As a result, adolescents benefit from having companions who value academic performance.
Peer influences can also be extremely damaging. Unhealthy, harmful peer groups can cause significant distress and suffering for both parents and teenagers. Teens who have peers who engage in risky conduct, illegal activities, or drug experimentation are more likely to join in.
Parents may dislike their teenagers’ companions, and for legitimate reasons, but they cannot be forced to chose healthy pals. When teens are forced to choose between their parents and their peer group, they typically go for their pals.
The successful establishment and navigation of interpersonal interactions with peers is an essential part of adolescent development throughout cultures.
In the European-American cultural setting, a significant portion of each day is spent under peer pressure, ranging from 10% at the age of two to 40% between the ages of seven and eleven.
By secondary school, youth spend more than half of their time with their classmates (Updegraff, Mchale, Crouter, & Kupanof, 2001).
Adolescents spend a significant amount of time with peers, therefore it is not surprising that they have a strong influence on their life. Adolescence is the time when peers have the most credibility, authority, power, and influence (Cooper, 1994).
Although the process of socialisation and individuation happens throughout cultures, the developmental timeline, goals, and practices are frequently distinct.
In the United States, adolescents’ developmental paths are characterised by a shift in closeness from parents to peers. In contrast to the focus put by European-American cultures on independence, other cultures, particularly Asian and African cultures, emphasise the socialisation of “interdependence, self-control, social inhibition, and compliance.”
For example, the peer-like mutuality with which adolescents interact with their parents in high school is a distinctively European-American construct (Chen, Greenberger, Lester, Dong, and Guo, 1998).
Adolescence is a period in which peers play an increasingly essential role in the lives of youth. Teenagers begin to form friendships that are more intimate, exclusive, and consistent than in previous years. In many ways, these friendships are critical components of growth.
They give safe spaces for young people to explore their identities while feeling accepted and developing a sense of belonging. Friendship also allows adolescents to practise and develop the social skills required for future success.
Nonetheless, parents and other adults may grow concerned if they notice their kids become engrossed with their companions.
Many parents are concerned that their teenagers will be influenced by others, reject their families’ values and beliefs, and be encouraged to engage in risky and other undesirable activities.
In truth, peer influence is really complex. First, peer influence can be positive or bad. While we often believe that peer influence causes kids to engage in hazardous and risky behaviours, it can actually drive youth to study better in school, volunteer for community and social services, and participate in sports and other positive activities.
In fact, most teenagers report feeling pressured by their peers to avoid drug usage and sexual engagement.
Second, peer influence is not a simple process in which youngsters passively receive influence from others. In fact, classmates who become friends typically have a lot in common. Peers who share similar interests, academic standing, and like the same activities tend to gravitate towards one another.
So, while it appears that kids and their friends become quite similar to one another through peer impact, most of that resemblance existed to begin with.
1.2 Statement of the Problem:
The influence of peer group pressure on adolescents’ smoking habits is gaining momentum and skyrocketing with each passing day, and there is an urgent need to address this issue before it spirals out of control and destroys tomorrow’s leaders’ dreams, visions, and potentials (Akinsanya, 2010).
There is a lot of debate over the damaging impact of “peer pressure” on kids these days. People frequently forget that peer pressure may affect people of all ages, and that peer influence can be beneficial.
The old adage “birds of a feather flock together” is true because if you are not like your peers, your peers will be like you, and the peers you hang out with will eventually encourage you to think and act like them, or vice versa.
Negative peer pressure can cause teenagers to undertake a variety of activities. They may be forced into shoplifting, robbing, drinking, smoking, and using drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and so on, as well as engaging in illicit sex
which can result in undesired pregnancy, abortion, HIV/AIDS, and so on, all of which can harm their dreams, vision, abilities, and potential. These adolescents are tomorrow’s leaders.
This research work has come to light as a result of the aforementioned issues, with the goal of investigating the impact of peer pressure on adolescents’ smoking habits and proposing appropriate remedies to address the situation.
1.3 Significance of the Study:
There is no better moment to work on this research topic “the critical impact of peer group pressure on adolescents smoking habits” than now, especially because the smoking rate among teenagers and other bad behavioural attitudes are exploding among our youths.
This research would be extremely beneficial to adolescents and young people, students, parents, teachers, counsellors, the government, and the entire country.
The information provided below would assist all stakeholders, particularly parents and counsellors, in monitoring and assisting their children and wards from becoming victims of peer pressure on adolescents’ smoking habits.
The study would also be extremely beneficial to teachers and those who serve as role models and mentors for adolescents and youths.
Finally, the study would inform teachers about how to deal with peer group pressure among teenagers, as well as the smoking habit among these adolescents and other adolescents’ behaviour influenced by peer group pressure.
1.4 The purpose of the study
In general, the study intends to conduct a survey on the impact of peer group pressure on adolescent smoking habits in several chosen secondary schools in the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State. In specific terms, the goal of this investigation is to
1. Examine whether peer group pressure has any effect on adolescent smoking habits.
2. Examine whether there will be a societal influence on adolescent smoking habits.
3. Examine whether the government will have any influence on adolescent smoking habits.
4. Examine whether education has any influence on adolescent smoking habits.
1.5 Objectives of the Study
The study’s aims are:
1. To investigate the impact of peer pressure on adolescent smoking habits.
2. To investigate the harmful effects of smoking on teenage health.
3. To investigate the effectiveness of countermeasures against smoking among adolescents.
1.6 Research Questions:
The research issue for this study will explore the influence of peer group pressure on adolescents’ smoking habits.
In addition, answers with detailed explanations would be submitted to the following research questions:
1. Will peer group pressure influence adolescents’ smoking habits?
2. Will there be a societal influence on adolescents’ smoking habits?
3. Will the government have any influence on teens’ smoking habits?
4. Will education have any influence on adolescents’ smoking habits?
1.7 Research Hypotheses:
To ensure more detailed and result-oriented research, hypotheses are developed and tested based on the study objectives.
The decision criteria are to accept the null hypothesis (Ho) and reject the alternative hypothesis (H1), or otherwise based on the results of the test performed.
The hypotheses are presented below:
1. Peer pressure has no substantial influence on adolescent smoking habits.
2. There is no major social influence on adolescents’ smoking behaviour.
3. There is no major government influence on adolescents’ smoking behaviour.
4. There is no major school influence on adolescent smoking behaviour.
1.8 Definitions of Major Terms:
Peer Group:
A peer group is a social group of people. Peer groups are informal primary groups of persons with similar or equal status, who are usually around the same age, and interact within the social aggregate.
Peer Pressure:
Peer pressure is the impact that a peer group has on a person to change his or her views, values, or behaviour in order to adhere to group norms.
It can also be defined as situations in which an individual feels indirectly pressured to change their behaviour to match that of their peers. Taking up smoking is one of the most well-known examples.
Adolescent:
Adolescents are defined as young people who are transitioning from childhood to adulthood, between the ages of 13 and 18.
Smoking:
Smoking is described as the process of burning cigarettes or tobacco and tasting or inhaling the vapours.
Habit:
A habit is defined as something that is done frequently and almost unconsciously, particularly something that is difficult to break.
1.9 Limitations.
The population of this study would include all secondary schools in Lagos State, with samples confined to Senior Secondary School (SS2) students. The findings of this study cannot be extended to all Nigerian schools.
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