CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction

This study investigated “peer pressure and social adjustment among mid adolescents in some selected secondary schools in Bamenda III Municipality”. The study therefore focused only on the relationship between peer pressure and social adjustment. In this regard, specific components of peer pressure within different contexts such as direct peer pressure, indirect peer pressure and negative peer pressure were examined in relationship to social adjustment of mid adolescent. In this light, chapter one of this study presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, hypotheses, significance of the study, scope of the study and operational definition of terms. chapter two exposes the reader to review of related literature, chapter three shows the methods of the study, chapter four presents the findings and chapter five presents the discussion of findings, contributions of the study, conclusion, recommendations of the study, strengths and limitations of the study and suggestions for further research.

Background of the Study

Adolescents’ misbehaviour in schools has become a cause of concern in most schools in Namibia and indeed many other countries worldwide (Owens, 2002). Many adolescents have problem behaviour that sometimes becomes serious (Mattessich & Horsley, 2004). Teachers are challenged in dealing with children, who display certain behaviours that are not tolerated. Literature offers insight into the conceptualization of the influence of peer pressure on adolescents’ misbehaviour within different school set ups (Mattessich & Horsley, 2004; Owens, 2002; Rima, 2008). Owens (2002) describes some school children, who misbehave as: “Children, who are very aggressive, disruptive, extremely active, and talkative, give less attention in the classroom, less co-operative and do not interact well with others, bully others, fight and in general just display inappropriate behaviour.”

In adolescence, young people begin to break away from their families and try out different roles and situations to figure out who they are and where they fit into the world. They spend more time with their friends and less time with their families. This is a normal, healthy stage of development, but the growing distance between parents and their children and the increasing importance of friends can be a source of conflict and anger within the family. The desire to feel accepted and to fit in is one of the strongest forces in adolescents; this can lead teens to do things that they know are wrong, dangerous, or risky. On the positive side, the pressure to keep up with the peer group can also inspire teens to achieve goals that they might never aim for on their own. In other words, young people prefer to be in the company of other young people, who offer mutual support in contrast to their parents, who they perceive as authoritarian. Perhaps this is why the issue of peer pressure is of great interest to the psychological and sociological fields. In Eric Erikson’s theory of “Identity vs. Identity Confusion,” adolescence is viewed as a developmental stage in which individuals are more susceptible to peer pressure due to the shift in emotional dependence from parents to peers (Wall, Power & Arbona, 1993; Berk, 2004).

Neufeld & Mate (2005) shown that over the last 50 years peer influence/pressure has emerged as the chief source of values and behavioural influence for adolescents, replacing the influence of adults. Along with this new trend has come a rise in antisocial behaviour. Although the level of deviance varies between peer groups, the negative actions of one member of a group will increase the probability of other members taking part in similar behaviours. Affiliation with deviant peers predicts delinquent behaviour more strongly than community, school, or family characteristics (Gifford-Smith, Dodge, Dish ion & McCord, 2005). According to You (2011) perceived support from peers gives adolescent students a sense of motivation which enables them to see the importance of pursuing academic success This is because adolescents who are accepted by their peers are more likely to be psychologically healthier and self-confident than those rejected by their peers (Allen et al., 2005).

Research has also found relationships between deviance and other factors. Studies have shown young adolescents to be more susceptible to peer pressure than younger children or those in late adolescence (Pruitt, 2012). An increase in susceptibility is seen between grades five and eight, followed by a linear decline as older adolescents develop a sense of autonomy from their peers. A different perspective by Pruitt (2012) showed that positive peer pressure can also have a strong effect and that even adolescents who are highly susceptible are more likely to be influenced by positive or neutral behaviour than antisocial behaviour. Additionally, while pressure from peer groups is undoubtedly influential, most teens choose friends that share common views about behaviours such as drinking or drug use. Pruitt stated that “the ‘good kid’ who falls in with the bad crowd is the exception, not the rule.”

Youth peer pressure is particularly common because most youths are forced to spend large amounts of time in fixed groups (schools and subgroups within them) regardless of their opinion of those groups (Ungar, 2004). In addition, they may lack the maturity to handle the peer pressure. Young people are also more willing to behave negatively towards those who are not members of their own peer groups. However, youth peer pressure can also have positive effects. For example, if one is involved with a group of people who are ambitious and working to succeed, one might feel pressured to follow suit to avoid feeling excluded from the group.

It is commonly believed that socially accepted children fare best in high school. It is expected that people who are considered popular will have the most resources, the most opportunities and the most positive experiences. Much of the time this is true; however, research shows that being in the popular crowd may also be a risk factor for mild to moderate deviant behaviour (Peel, 2012). This is also in agreement with the view of Omoegun (2013) that popular adolescents are the most socialised into their peer groups and are therefore vulnerable to peer pressures regarding substance use and some other deviant behaviours. Adolescence is a time of experimentation with new identities and experiences, and socially accepted kids are often accepted because they conform well to the norms of teen culture, which includes good and bad aspects. Popular adolescents are therefore more strongly associated with their peer groups in which they may experiment with behaviours such as alcohol and drug use (Adams, 2010). However, though Sarka (2004) identifies a few risk factors correlated with popularity, popular adolescents’ deviant behaviour is often only mild to moderate. Overall, social acceptance provides more protective factors than risk factors. The extent to which a person is influenced by peer pressure depends on many factors (Onwuamanam, 2009). People are less likely to be heavily influenced by their friends and more likely to make their own decisions if they have high self-esteem, individual goals, a positive outlook on the future, good social skills, the ability to interact with people from different backgrounds, and strong connections to family and community.

Further, Adams (2010) posited that people are more likely to be heavily influenced by their peers and less likely to make decisions for themselves if they have low self-esteem, are experiencing problems in their family such as divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction, or unemployment, come from families where there is little support or communication, strongly identify with only one ethnic group, feel distant from school and community activities, and are afraid of not belonging or fitting in.

Given the background presented above, it seems that the socialisation experience of adolescents is focused on peer interaction. Adolescents are more likely to discuss their problems with their peers than with their parents and are therefore more susceptible to their peers’ perceptions of right and wrong.

Statement of the Problem    

Peer pressure is one of the possible reasons for the prevalence of adolescent misbehaviour. Adolescents spend an increasing amount of time each day in the company of their peers; it has been observed that young people have a tendency to want to associate with members of their own age group. As a result of this association with members of their own age group, the decisions of the age group influence the decisions of individuals who belong to the group. Adolescents experience some physical and physiological changes during the period of development that cause them to encounter numerous risks in their daily lives. The quest for peer acceptance is manifested in the way they dress, speak, walk and in their general interests so that they can fit in with the group. Therefore, peers are often publicly blamed for the onset of risk behaviours ranging from substance use to teen pregnancy. Recent work has showed that friends play an important role in both harmful and positive activities and that peer pressure predisposes adolescents to many forms of deviance, including alcoholism, gangsterism, robbery and violent secret cult activities. This implies that, although adolescents acquire information regarding risk behaviours from parents, teachers, and the media, peers play a crucial role in an adolescent’s development by shaping their normative beliefs and interpretations of information regarding risk activities. This study was therefore designed to assess the extent of the influence of peer pressure on the social adjustment of adolescents in Bamenda III Municipality.

Objectives of the study         

Main objective

• To find out the extent to which peer pressure influences mid adolescent’s social adjustment.

Specific objectives

Specifically, this study seeks to;

• Identify the relationship between direct peer pressure and mid adolescents ‘social adjustment in Bamenda III Municipality
• Find out the relationship between indirect peer pressure and mid adolescents’ social adjustment in Bamenda III Municipality
• Examine the relationship between negative peer pressure and mid adolescents’ social adjustment in Bamenda III Municipality

Research questions

Main research question

• What is the relationship between peer pressure and mid-adolescent’s social adjustment in Bamenda III Municipality?

Specific research questions

• What is the relationship between direct peer pressure and mid adolescents’ social adjustment in Bamenda III Municipality?
• What is the relationship between indirect peer pressure and mid adolescents’ social adjustment in Bamenda III Municipality?
• What is the relationship between negative peer pressure and mid adolescents’ social adjustment in Bamenda III Municipality?