INFLUENCE OF PEER GROUP PRESSURE ON ADOLESCENT SMOKING BEHAVIOR

1.1 Introduction

Peer group is a social group of humans. Peer groups are an informal primary group of people who share a similar or equal status and who are usually of roughly the same age and interact within the social aggregate. In young people, youth peer pressure is one of the most frequently referred to forms of peer pressure. It is particularly common because most youth spend large amounts of time in fixed groups (schools and subgroups within them) regardless of their opinion of those groups. In addition to this, they may lack the maturity to handle pressure from ‘friends’. Also, young people are more willing to behave negatively towards those who are not members of their own groups. However, youth peer pressure can also have positive effects. Teenagers feel like they need to be in the same group to be cool or in. Therefore, the youth would be pressured into improving themselves, thus, having a better future. This is most commonly seen in youths that are active in sports or other extracurricular activities where conformity with one’s peer group is strongest.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Peer groups are a normal, necessary and healthy part of adolescent development. As teenagers are struggling to develop a personal identity and become less dependent on parents, peer groups provide the security of a "safety net". Peer groups provide an opportunity for teenagers to interact with equals. Their friends give teen’s companionship, emotional support, and a sense of belonging. Peer information, and practice social skills. Teens learn that they aren’t alone in feeling scared and insecure, and that others have problems too.

Peer relationships can be a powerful positive influence on the lives of adolescents. Natural observations of adolescents indicate that most adolescents discuss options with their friends before reaching a consensus about what to do. Rarely is one adolescent pressured to conform to the rest of the group. Moreover, secondary school students in several large samples reported that their friends discouraged drug and alcohol use, delinquent activities, and other types of antisocial behaviour more than they encourage them; they also claimed their friends encouraged studying for school subjects more than they discouraged it.

Some adolescents even display anti-conformity, rejecting their peer’s judgements, and making different decisions altogether. Friendships inherently limit the use and effectiveness of coercive pressure because they are relationships based on equality and mutual respect; consequentially, decisions are made by negotiation, not domination.

Adolescents choose friends who have characteristics or talents that they admire, which motivate them to achieve and act as their friends acts. Friends encourage adolescents to study hard at school and can also help them think more creatively. High-achieving peers have positive effects on adolescents’ satisfaction with school, educational expectations, report card grades, and standardised achievement test scores. Students with friends who like school, get good grades, and are interested in school. Also they are more likely to finish secondary school. Hence, having friends who believe that academic achievement is important is beneficial for adolescents.

Peer influences can also be very negative. Unhealthy, destructive peer groups can cause much pain and suffering for both parents and teenagers. Teens whose friends are involved in risky behaviours, illegal activities or experimenting with drugs, may easily be persuaded to join in. Parents may dislike their teenagers’ friends, and possibly for good reasons, but it is impossible to force teens to choose healthy friends. Most often, when teens are forced to choose between their parents or their peer group, they choose their friends.

The successful formation and navigation of interpersonal relationships with peers is a process central to adolescent development in all cultures. In European − American cultural context and ever including amount of each day is spent under of peer pressure, from 10 percent as early as two years of age to forty percent between the ages of seven and eleven. By secondary school, teens are spending more than half of their time in the company of their peers (Updegraff, Mchale, Crouter and Kupanof, 2001). Because adolescents spend a large amount of their time with peers, it is not surprising that they play a highly influential role in adolescents’ lives. The credibility, authority, power, and influence of peers are greater during adolescence than at any other time in life (Cooper, 1994). Although the process of socialization and individuation occurs in all cultures, the developmental time frame, goals, and practices are often unique.

In the United States, the adolescents’ developmental path is characterized by a transfer in closeness from parents to peers. In comparison with the emphasis placed by European − American cultures on individualism, other cultures, Asian and African cultures in particular, accentuate the socialization of ‘’interdependence, self-control, social inhibition, and compliance’’. For example, the peer like mutuality with which adolescents negotiate with their parents during their high school years is a uniquely European − American construct (Chen, Greenberger, Lester, Dong, and Guo, 1998).

Adolescence is a time when peers play an increasingly important role in the lives of youth. Teens begin to develop friendships that are more intimate, exclusive, and more constant than in earlier years. In many ways, these friendships are an essential component of development. They provide safe venues where youths can explore their identities where they can feel accepted and where they can develop a sense of belongingness. Friendship also allow youth to practice and foster social skills necessary for future success.

Nonetheless, parents and other adults can become concerned when they see their teens becoming preoccupied with their friends. Many parents worry that their teens will fall under peer influence or reject their families’ values and beliefs as well as are pressured to engage in high-risks and other negative behaviours.

In reality, peer influence is very complex. First, peer influence can be both positive and negative. While we tend to think that peer influence leads teens to engage in unhealthy and unsafe behaviours, it can actually motivate youth to study harder in school, volunteer for community and social services, and participate in sports and other productive endeavours.

In fact, most teens report that their peers pressure them not to engage in drug use and sexual activity. Second, peer influence is not a simple process where youth are passive recipients of influence from others. In fact, peers who become friends tend to already have a lot of things in common. Peers with similar interests, similar academic standing, and enjoy doing the same things tend to gravitate towards each other. So while it seems that teens and their friends become very similar to each other through peer influence, much of that similarity was present to begin with.

Therefore, in Undergraduate Students of Tertiary Institutions where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Influence of Peer Group Pressure on Adolescent Smoking Behavior.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the low academic performance in schools is brought the need to investigate the factors influencing learning. The peer group influence is one of the factors causing low academic performance. There is need to look into peer group relationship and individual approach to learning, membership of the peer group they belong and find out how factors such as sex, age, social status or ethnicity determine their membership in a group. In addition what influence do parent and teachers have on the group.

Reports have shown that there has been a downward trend in academic performance of in-school adolescents in Nigerian secondary school. Parents, teachers, Curriculum experts have also expressed considerable concern about this poor performance in external examination. So also are teachers and school counselor. These groups of individuals tend to point accusing fingers on influence of negative peer pressure and poor time management as being responsible for poor academic performance.

These factors are suspected for the luring of adolescents into engagement in negative habits such as excessive drinking of alcohol, smoking, of Indian hemp, engagement in unhealthy sexual behaviour, cultist activities and other mal-adjustive behaviours that distract them from academic pursuit.

1.4 Purpose of the Study

Generally, this research intends to carry a survey on the Influence of Peer Group pressure on adolescent smoking behavior in some selected secondary schools in Ifako Ijaiye Local Government area in Ekiti State. In specific terms, the purpose of this study is to:

1. Examine whether there will be any influence of peer group pressure on adolescent smoking Behavior.
2. Examine whether there will be any societal influence on adolescent smoking Behavior.
3. Examine whether there will be any influence of government on adolescent smoking Behavior.
4. Examine whether there will be any influence of school in adolescent smoking Behavior.

 1.5 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Influence of Peer Group Pressure on Adolescent Smoking Behavior using Undergraduate Students of Tertiary Institutions as a Case Study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the effects of peer group pressure on adolescent smoking Behavior;
2. To analyze the negative effects of smoking on adolescent’s health; and
3. To examine the counter-measures and their potency to smoking among adolescents.

1.6 Research Questions

For the purpose of this research work, emphasis would be laid on the research topic: the influence of peer group pressure on adolescents smoking behaviors. Also, answers with in-depth explanations would be provided to the following research questions below:

• Will there be any influence of peer group pressure on adolescents’ smoking behavior?
• Will there be any societal influence on adolescents’ smoking behavior?
• Will there be any influence of government on adolescents’ smoking behavior?
• Will there be any influence of school on adolescents’ smoking behavior?

1.7 Research Hypotheses

To ensure a more detailed and result oriented research, hypotheses are formulated and tested on the research objectives. The decision criteria is to accept the null hypothesis (Ho) and reject the alternative hypothesis (H1) or otherwise based on the result of the test carried out.

The hypotheses are stated below:

• H₀1: There is no significant influence of peer group pressure on adolescents’ smoking behaviors.
• H₀2: There is no significant societal influence on adolescents’ smoking behaviors.
• H₀3: There is no significant influence of government on adolescents smoking behaviors.
• H₀4: There is no significant school influence on adolescents’ smoking behaviors.

1.8 Significance of the Study

There cannot be a better time to work on this research topic the critical impact of peer group pressure on adolescents smoking behaviors than now especially when the smoking rate among adolescents and other undesirable behavioural attitude is skyrocketing among our youths these days.

This study would be of great importance to adolescents and youths, students, parents, teachers, Counsellors, Government and the entire nation at large.

The information contained herein would help all stake holders, especially parents and counsellors to help monitor and help their children and wards from being a victim of peer pressure on adolescents smoking behaviors.

The study would also be of great benefits to teachers and individuals that are role models and mentors to adolescents and youths.

Finally, the study would enlighten the teachers on how to handle peer group pressure among adolescents and also the smoking behavior among these adolescents and other adolescents’ behaviour caused by peer group pressure.

1.9 Scope of Study

The study focuses on the Influence of Peer Group Pressure on Adolescent Smoking Behavior using Undergraduate Students in Tertiary Institutions in Ado-Ekiti Local Government area of Ekiti State as a Case Study.

1.10 Limitations of Study

The population of this study will be all secondary schools in Ekiti State and samples were limited to members of Senior Secondary School (SS2). The result obtained from this study would not be generalized to all schools in Nigeria.

1.11 Definition of Terms

Peer group: A peer group is a social group of humans. Peer groups are an informal primary group of people who share a similar or equal status and who are usually of roughly the same age and interact within the social aggregate.

Peer Pressure: Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms.