Premium Essay

Impact of Peer Pressure on Alcohol Consumption

In:

Submitted By halamehi
Words 1155
Pages 5
Impact of Peer Pressure on Alcohol Consumption among Adolescents

Halamehi R

Abstract
This paper addresses the impact of peer pressure on risky behaviour such as alcohol abuse among adolescents focusing on high school students from 12-19 years. Peer pressure in relation to alcohol use include peer norms, peer approval to drinking and the need to conform. Studies show that peer pressure does have an impact on alcohol use. However, other factors such as intrapersonal or psycho social forces, as well as parental influencess also have an effect on adolescents decisions to drink. The following literature reviews show the extent of peer pressure on adolescent alcohol and the other factors that may have a contribution to it.
Impact of Peer Pressure on Risky Behaviour (alcohol abuse)
Peer pressure refers to the influences that a group of friends or peers can have over each other. It is common among adolescents who are at a time in their lives where development of a separate identity from the identity perceptions their parents have of them is at a peak. Additionally, it is at this time that peers are trying to fit in with their group and therefore find themselves in activities or risky behavior that they would otherwise partake in. Peer pressure has no demographic boundaries affecting males and females over a wide age range in different ways with negative implications. Such negative implications of peer pressure include risky behaviors such as alcohol abuse.
Alcohol consumption is one of the many risk behaviors that adolescents engage in as a result of peer pressure. Arata, Stafford and Tims (2003)focus on problem drinking among 930 adolescents of 13 to 19yrs from an urban private high school in Roslyn Heights in the USA. Their purpose was to find out parent and peer variables and negative consequences associated with alcohol use. Their focus on peer

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Alcohol and College Students

...Effects of Alcohol on College Students The use of alcohol among college students has been a recurring theme for years now. It is almost guaranteed that college students will be introduced to alcohol at one point or another during their time at school. Students taking part in drinking at college can be traced to a number of different factors: peer influences, fraternity and sorority involvement, social norms, etc. These influences all affect a student’s motives for drinking in college. When college students drink, it is usually not in a safe, appropriate way. Binge drinking has become common on the college campus. The risks of this type of drinking have an impact not just on the college student. Other students, family, and anyone in general feel the effects of this type of drinking behavior. “Alcohol identity also predicted engaging in behaviors that place the student at much greater risk for personal injury, harm to others, and legal consequences—binge drinking, drinking games, drinking intentionally to intoxication, and drunk driving.” (Casey & Dollinger, pg.18, 2007) The outcomes of alcohol consumption have many different outcomes for each student, and the root of this drinking can be attributed to many different factors. The explanation of how college facilitates certain drinking behaviors is not a simple one. There are many factors that go into why college students begin to drink. Greek life, peer pressure, and social norms all play a part in alcohol consumption for students...

Words: 1749 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Sociology Seminar Research Paper

...………………………………………………………………………………………..………..9 Methodology………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9 Findings…………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………….…………………………11 Conclusion…………………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14 Works Cited….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15 Survey…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..16 Informed Consent………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20 Annotated Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….21 Abstract This research shows how binge drinking impacts college students peer relationships. Binge drinking is defined as the most common excessive method of drinking in the United States. This type of drinking brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above. This pattern of drinking can also be defined as heavy episodic drinking that can have students experiencing negatively alcohol-related consequences. College drinking is influenced by three different aspects of the college...

Words: 4049 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

A Report Which Outlines That Consumption of Alcohol at Harmful Levels Among Young People Is Increasing in Australia.

...Student -Justice Studies MSIT-Mt Gravatt Dear Ms Turner Please find enclosed/attached the report which you requested on the 4 June 2012 for assessment in the units QLD594JUS01A- Analyse Social Justice Issues and BSBRES401- Analyse and Present Research Information. The aim of the research was to investigate /analyse/identify the Consumption of alcohol at harmful levels among young people which increasing in Australia. This report presents the findings of this investigation and is based on an analysis of both primary and secondary source data including the results of a survey prepared and conducted by Mr. Tricker the writer of the report. This report includes a number of recommendations to assist in addressing the issues raised in the research. I express my gratitude to the participants who completed the survey and who provided valuable input into this research. I look forward to discussing these recommendations with you and will be available to do so at a time convenient to you. Yours faithfully, Kieran Tricker Student, the Diploma of Justice Administration Program MSIT-2012 A report which outlines that Consumption of alcohol at harmful levels among young people is increasing in Australia. By Kieran Tricker Student of MSIT QLD594JUS01A- Analyse Social Justice Issues and BSBRES401- Analyse and Present Research Information. 4 June 2012 Table of contents Introduction ...

Words: 3874 - Pages: 16

Free Essay

Final Essay Exam

...FINAL ESSAY Your name Course Name Date 1. Describe the major hormonal changes that occur during adolescence. Describe girls’ reactions to menarche and boys’ reactions to spermarche during puberty. What factors influence the way adolescents respond? Describe the impact of puberty on parent–child interaction and the adaptive value of this change in adolescents’ relationships with their parents. Hormonal change is at its peak during adolescence and is a period of rapid psychological and physiological transformation. During puberty boys and girls sweat and their oil glands become more active. This will result in body odour and acne. They also get underarm and pubic hair in the body. The brain releases Gonadotropin – releasing hormone (GnRH) for stimulating pituitary gland. Pituitary gland is also known as the Master gland releases luteinizing hormones and follicle stimulating hormone. In boys, interstitial cell stimulating hormone and it stimulates interstitial cells to produce to from hormones in male organ of testicles. Both male and females have estrogens and androgen in their body in low level and after puberty, males begin to have more androgen including testosterone. In female they get more oestrogen as puberty crosses. Menarche is the first menstrual bleeding in a girl and her reaction to this event can be both emotional and physical. It is a sign of growing up and happens between the age of 9 and 15 years. The girls usually show stress, irritability and...

Words: 2851 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Alcohol in Colleges

...excessive consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. In the US, binge drinking is defined as consumption of five and above units of alcohol for a man or four and more units of alcohol for a lady in a single session. This term can also be termed as heavy binge drinking especially when it occurs more than twice in a week of more than thrice within a period of two weeks (Wechsler, Henry, and Toben F. Nelson, 2006). Almost 80% of alcohol consumption by youths is in a form of binge drinks. The most affected age is the age between 18 and 24, of which many these youths are college students. From a research, one of the big cause of binge drinking is by influence usually by adverts from beverage (alcoholic) companies. These companies put the adverts in a way that it seems attractive and fun to drink much, among the youths. Again peer pressure plays a big role in the cause of binge drinking among youths especially college guys. Other causes may be due to curiosity i.e. they want to be aware how someone feels when drunk, believing that someone feels so good when he or she is drunk (Cranford, James A., Sean Esteban McCabe, and Carol J. Boyd, 2006). Also due to some believes that one can reduce stress by taking alcohol push students to alcohol drinking mostly towards or after an exam. As per the latest report by National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about four in a group of five college students take alcohol. Also, more than 50% of those who take alcohol consume it...

Words: 705 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Sct Social Cognitive Theory

...Therapeutic Interventions a Theodoros Giovazolias* , Olga Themeli a [a] Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Rethymno, Greece. Abstract Substance misuse and abuse among adolescents and young adults, especially students, remain a significant public health issue, often associated with serious academic, psychological and health problems. Theoretical models of social behaviour emphasize the importance of peer behaviour as a modelling or normative influence. The processes by which social influence factors contribute to substance misuse behaviour have been described in models derived from the social learning paradigm, including both socio-environmental (e.g. social modelling, perceived norms) and coping skills and cognitive variables (e.g. self-efficacy, outcome expectancies). However, this growing body of the literature often reveals contradictory findings regarding the precise mechanisms of processes by which social and cognitive variables may influence substance misuse in youth populations. This review critically examines the literature on different forms of peer influence and accordingly provides suggestions for intervention strategies that take into consideration the relevant research findings on social learning constructs. Keywords: social learning, norms, self-efficacy, youth, substance abuse, counselling interventions The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, 2014, Vol. 3(1), 69–88, doi:10.5964/ejcop.v3i1.23 Received: 2013-07-04. Accepted: 2013-12-22. Published...

Words: 11696 - Pages: 47

Free Essay

Addiction

...Alcohol is the most widely abused drug in the world, and its effects on the human body can be serious. Society and the companies that make alcoholic beverages promote drinking as a harmless social activity. The reality, as presented in this program, is dramatically different. Alcohol affects every system of the body and even moderate consumption can have serious effects. The toxic effects of alcohol impact the nervous, circulatory, digestive, urinary, reproductive and muscular/skeletal systems of the human body. Specific disorders, such as alcoholic pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and fetal alcohol syndrome as well. Alcohol starts to affect the body with your first sip. I do not feel like drinking is a problem in my community, but I do not know anyone from this area. I believe anyone is able to put on a good front when you first meet them and make their life look perfect when really they have a lot of issues or problems they deal with and may be using alcohol to cover them up. I think people start drinking for many reasons and even sometimes there does not have to be any reason they just like the taste but people do use this as a Mood regulator, Societal Influence, peer pressure, to lose ones Inhibitions, and this might help relieve stress in some people. There is so many more reasons why people drink that was just a few and This list is by no means comprehensive and, quite frankly, when it comes to true alcoholics, they don’t really need an excuse to drink. They just...

Words: 284 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Family Theories

...Name Course Tutor Date Drug, Alcohol, and Crime Introduction Alcohol refers to an intoxication ingredient that’s found in wine, beer, and liquor while a drug relates to any substance apart from food that if smoked, inhaled, injected, consumed or is dissolved under the tongue it results in a physiological change of the body. The combination of the two might lead in a crime which is can be denoted as unlawful practices that are punishable by the law. Alcohol and drugs contribute much to the high rate of the offence in most societies though considering other risk factors such as child exposure to violence and mental or biological health. The risk factors aside research have examined alcohol and drug abuse to be the major contributor to crime. The relationship of narcotics to crime is quite complex and yet controversial; the puzzling question is whether people who use drugs are already crime oriented or is there a direct connection between drugs and alcohol consumption to criminal activities. Taking a case study of the Australian community it has been documented that the estimated cost of alcohol and drug-related crime range from $1.96 billion to over $4 billion. The statistics are quite the same to every as alcohol and drugs prove to be the biggest ingredient to spark up the crime. Through observational study, it has been identified that illegal drug users who engage in intensive drug use are bound to amplify and take part in pre-existing criminal activities. This has sensitized...

Words: 1416 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Cause and Effect

...5480153 EC1 sec 3 Effects of pressures on students Cause and effect essay That today’s children have been pressured in the society is now considered to be a normal statement. As the world has been increasingly competitive, each person just has to struggle for what is best for him or her. Especially for parents, they all aspire to see their children successful in their lives. The offspring are pushed to study hard in order to get into a reputable university. In many Asian countries, the pressure to perform on high-stakes college entrance examinations and academic competitions is so high that it puts an anxious pressure on many students. Frequently, parents are also the fact that puts even more pressure on their children. According to the research, in Japan, 60 per cent of the students are considered as high depressed (Wike, 2006). While, 30 per cent feel that their pressures are on the right amount and only 9 per cent say they lack of parental pressure (ibid 2006). In schools, students have been overloaded with deadlines of assignments. Some of them have to stay up late with the intention of being responsible to their works. This leads adolescents to get unhealthy and be depressed. Unfortunately, they might start to take drugs or drink alcohol and do drastic actions. It is imperative that being stressful or pressured impact health. The absolute effect of this is depression, which makes students restless, sad, and irritable. They will have lower energy than they...

Words: 741 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Factors Affect the Academic Performance of Hrm Students

...FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE LEVEL OF I AND III HRM STUDENTS OF LSPU-SPCC BATCH 2015-2016 A Thesis Proposal Presented to the Faculty of the College of Hospitality Management and Tourism LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY San Pablo City Campus In Partial Fulfilment Of the Requirement for the Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management Patricia Marie M. Vivero CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND This chapter will discuss the introduction and background of the study as well as the theories of other people regarding the main topic of this research, the research problem, its hypotheses, significance, scope and limitation of the study, and the definition of important terms that will be seen on this chapter. Introduction The factors that affect the academic performance level of I and III of HRM students of LSPU-SPCC Batch 2015-2016. Is to conduct a study and find out on what is the effect of academic performance of HRM students. The extent of student’s learning academically may be determined by the grades that a student earns for a period of learning has been done. A topic like this has relevance from an educational perspective that views behavior as a significant factor to obtaining optimal education. Learning is defined as a knowledge or skill acquired through study or by being taught. Learning is reflected in the way a child responds to environmental, social, emotional and physical stimuli and understands new information...

Words: 1591 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Cause And Effect Essay On Alcohol

...Topic: Alcohol is the cause and the solution to many of life’s problems. What are alcohols in terms of chemistry? The term alcohol originally meant the prominent alcohol ethyl alcohol (ethanol) the prominent alcohol in alcoholic beverages. This is not a surprise as the connotations created by the word “alcohol” are that of liquor. But there is a lot more to this liquid than just being a drink. Alcohols are any of a class of organic compounds that have a singly bonded alkane attached to hydroxyl (-OH) groups. Alcohols are important in terms of organic chemistry because they can be converted to and from many other kinds of compounds. this is a ball and stick model of the hydroxyl (-OH) functional group in an alcohol molecule, the three “R’s” stand for...

Words: 798 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Drugs Among Teens

...number of college students and teens, who misuse prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons along with street drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy, heroin and steroids. Drugs and alcohol use on college campuses is universal. This has been an epidemic that has grown across the United States. According to Yusko,Buckman, White, and Pandina; alcohol and drug use in college is one of the more serious problems faced by colleges today .Another study stated that 90 percent of teens said they have used alcohol, over 50 percent have used marijuana, 17 percent used cocaine and 13 percent have used some form of hallucinogenic drug. Athletes are at risk to drug use because of the increased physical demand of athletics and heightens stress and time constraints placed upon them by fulfilling the dual role of being an athlete and student (Yusko, Buckman, White, Pandina, 2008). Peer pressure in itself is an epidemic and strongly impacts nonathletic individuals as well. The use of prescriptions drugs for nonmedical use is higher than are use of cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and inhalants all combined. Prescription Opioids result in more drug abuse deaths than both cocaine and heroin combined (Katelyn Rozenbroek& Rothstein, 2011).There are a lot of factors that drive teens and college students to turn to drugs and alcohol. The highest rates of prescription drugs used non-medically occur among college students and other young adult’s ages 18 to 24 (Katelyn Rozenbroek& Rothstein, 2011)...

Words: 1740 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Binge Drinking and Minors

...binges are generally occurring among college aged people. Binge drinking also known as episodic drinking is defined as “drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. “Some binge drinkers may also consume a consistent amount of alcohol over a long period of time, also leading to intoxication. Binge drinking can also be described as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men per sitting. “Binge drinking is a kind of purposeful drinking style, and somewhat overlaps with social drinking since it is often done in groups.” Due to long-term effects of alcohol misuse binge drinking is considered to be a major public health issue. “As college students arrive on campus, it’s a time of new experiences, new friendships, and making memories that will last forever.” Binge drinking is more common in males, during young adulthood. Most binge drinkers do not know any of the risks associated with binge drinking. “Heavy regular binge drinking is associated with negative effects on neurologic, cardiac, gastrointestinal, hematologic, psychiatric, immune and musculoskeletal organ systems.” Up to one third of college aged people binge drink, six percent result in having an alcohol related substance use disorder. Binge drinking in college aged people is commonly associated to unprotected sex, car accidents, unplanned pregnancy, contraction of diseases, suicide and other types of violent...

Words: 801 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Drinking Age Debate

...should be lowered from 21, while others believe 21 is the perfect age. Then there are the people who say that the drinking age should be taken even higher than 21. Some want the drinking age to be as high as 25. Will lowering the drinking age stop teens from binge drinking? If we take the drinking age higher, will it simply cause rebellion in the teen world? Many feel as though the law of 21 before drinking saves 1,000 deaths per year. The numbers of teens killed in alcohol related accidents have dropped somewhere from 11-16 percent since the 21 law have been implemented. Taking on higher drinking ages allows for a low intoxication level. For instance, in Georgia, where 21 is the legal drinking age, the blood alcohol level to be considered intoxicated is sitting at 0.08 percent. In places such as New Hampshire, where Arizona is the legal drinking age, blood alcohol content level is listed as high as 0.15 (Carter). These levels start to become dangerous when one realizes that one drink can cause a person’s blood alcohol content to be 0.02. If teen blows even 0.01 into a breathalyzer, it is a crime of underage drinking. The punishment of underage...

Words: 972 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Underage Drinking

...teenagers have probably explored with alcohol use in high school before college. The problem with underage drinking is a problem throughout all high school and colleges around the country. A lot of people don’t understand the consequences or the impact it can have on their lives, as they get older. Most of the time parents are unaware of the risks that their children face when they are involved in underage drinking. According to the National Survey on Drug Use, it is approximated that 24% of the population between the ages of 12 through 20 have engaged in underage drinking. Medical Experts say that alcohol can be used to increase metabolism and also helps with digestion. Despite the fact that it is against the law for college and high school students to consume alcohol, there is a large amount of teenagers experiencing the usage of alcohol. Even though it is said to be favorable, too much consumption has led to negative result and side effects. It is apparent that teenage alcohol abuses are basic problems that need to be taken up in society by our leaders, advisers and as well as the parents. Many people ask this question everyday, “Why do teenagers take prescription drugs?” Well most of the time teens wrongly believe that these drugs are more safe than regular drugs mainly because they are accessible to them from home or from friends. Breaking away from reality and being bored are the main reasons that teenagers abuse drugs. Peer pressure to continue friendships and relationships...

Words: 1607 - Pages: 7