Peer Influences Hinder Juvenile Offender Rehabilitation

Peer relation is a subject that is notorious for receiving much blame from parents with juvenile offenders or delinquents. Many parents feel that their children never would have gotten in trouble with the law if it had not been for their "good-for-nothing" friends. Is an adolescent's circle of friends and peers such a predominant influence? A teenager's peer group is not only a source of security; it is also a source of self-esteem. Since everything in his life is in a state of flux, he is unsure about what type of person he is and what type of person he will become. By making him part of their group, his peers are telling him he is an acceptable and valuable individuals; and that allows him to feel good about himself and confident about his future (Meyerhoff, 1999).

In many situations an adolescent's peer group is the predominant force driving his or her decisions. While at a party the juvenile may be approached with drugs and the only immediate influence is the peer group. If they say "no," they may feel that they will be faced with ridicule, embarrassment, and exile from the group. This is a strong consequence when the adolescent wants so desperately just to fit in.

Some experts have researched peer pressure and based on their findings, have determined peer influence as somewhat of a myth. They believe that peer pressure has revealed to be a myth that enables adults to explain youths' troubling behaviors (Ungar, 2000). Many of these studies are compiled by observations, surveys, and interviews. Some may disagree with these peer pressure "myth" findings because of how they are acquired. If you ask an average teen if they are influenced by peer pressure, they may be likely to say "no" because they want others to think they are original, innovative, and a trendsetter. No teenager is going to reply, "Yes. I am influenced by peer pressure because I want to be like everyone else. I don't want to have a mind of my own because that isn't cool."

Although most teenagers like to pride themselves in being their own person, many also succumb to peer pressure because their feelings of acceptance outweigh the need to be unique. Despite what most kids say, many still believe in the power of peer pressure and many parents fear it. Michael K. Meyerhoff, Ed.D, executive director of The Epicenter Inc., "The Education of Parenthood Information Center." a family advisory and advocacy agency shares his no-nonsense view of peer pressure:

Never underestimate the power of peerpressure. When your teenager tells you he wouldn't jump off the bridge, he's lying. Adolescence is a time of enormous anxiety and confusion. [He] is experiencing all sorts of significant changes with acceptance from an entity larger than he is (2000).