We talked about peer pressure in our psychology class. And for the most part, it is virtually non existent. No one is pulling your legs to do drugs or alcohol. Kids just want to do it so that they fit in and don't look like outcasts. In the end it falls right back into the parents lap who did not give these children confidence in what they believe in and to do what they believe is right.
Maybe this is not always the case but any so called good parent would have taught their child not to follow the crowd. This is just my opinion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chris_in_orbit

Kids just want to do it so that they fit in and don't look like outcasts.

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Isn't that the definition?

peer pressure
–noun
social pressure by members of one's peer group to take a certain action, adopt certain values, or otherwise conform in order to be accepted.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

peer pressure - Definitions from Dictionary.com

I agree on the parents not giving their young 'uns some vital tools to live by, for sure!

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Do you really think that kids won't be accepted just because they don't do drugs? When I was a kid and I didn't want to/or like to do the things that were mainstream, people would be like "thats weird" but its not like they flat out stopped talking to me because of it. The pressure is non existent and something that is created from a person's insecurities. Like I said no one is pulling your leg to do things that are considered cool.

I blame the Media

You talkin' to me?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chris_in_orbit

Do you really think that kids won't be accepted just because they don't do drugs?

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Did I say anything about drugs, or what anybody does?

I agree that we all have free will.

Now, either you misread, or you think I'm Dictionary.com

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I'm just saying that I don't agree with that definition or using that as the cause of why kids do the things they do. Any pressure is coming from within and not from peers, that's all I'm saying. I figured you agreed with the definition otherwise why would you post it?

Like I said, I agree with free will.

As far as accepted definitions are concerned, I'm not going to reinvent the wheel, but I can and do use my own interpretations and my own judgement.

This is where it falls back, not just on the parents or other authority figures, exclusively, but also what we learn along the way to be true and correct.

Kids learn the basics of behaviour from parents, but form their own views once they have their peers..
And their ideas come from what they see as accepted behaviour in society(books,media etc) and follow or they rebel against the society as a whole.

This is what I think and as parents we do have a lot to do,but I think the problem is not just personal now, it has become too large for only the family to handle,society as a group has to take some action if we are to see a BIG change in our kids.