peer pressure

Healthy Lifestyles in Teens: and the reality of peer pressure

By Barry Bittman, MD

Ever wish you could keep your teenage son or daughter locked in a monastery until they turned twenty-five?

All kidding aside¾ I suppose we all have at one time or another. After all, wouldn’t life be so much simpler if a bit of maturity set in before increasing freedom and parental trust set the stage for so many poor decisions.

On the other hand, if such expression was repressed until their mid-twenties, we’d probably be facing the oldest group of rebellious characters that ever walked the planet. In the final analysis, I suppose you just can’t interfere with hormones.

Yet, when one considers how the ideals and standards presented in supportive homes throughout our nation suddenly give way to peer pressure, I must acknowledge that there should be a better way to survive those teenage years in order to enter adulthood somewhat unscathed.

To fully appreciate the magnitude of this problem, consider the overall impact of four key studies:

· In the first, according to the Maryland Underage Drinking Coalition, “the first use of alcohol begins around the age of 13, two thirds of teenagers who drink buy their own alcohol, and junior and senior high school students drink 35% of all wine coolers sold in the US.”

· The second study, the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services demonstrated that illicit drug use is on the rise for 12-17 year olds. According to Gen. Barry McCaffrey, director of the White House Office on Drug Control Policy, “ If you go back to ’92 and forward to ’97, it (smoking marijuana) went up 275%.”

· The third, performed by the American Lung Association, reported that at least 3.1 million adolescents and 25% of 17 and 18-year olds are current smokers.

· Finally, according to a report from Communities Responding to the Challenge of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, “Approximately 9 percent of 14-year-olds, 18 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds, and 22 percent of 18- to 19-year-olds experience a pregnancy each year.”

These findings taken together are more than enough to sprout patches of gray hair in practically every parent. In fact, the image of our children passing through their teenage years seems more like a gauntlet or a mine field than transcendence to adulthood.

While most of us fully realize that healthy lifestyles do not just suddenly emerge, but rather develop progressively over the years, few parents ever realize the magnitude of the somber statistics that our children face and create. It’s unrealistic to assume that such problems only exist in low socioeconomic populations¾ the fact is that all children are exposed to peer pressure that can lead them astray. Unfortunately, unhealthy lifestyles are sometimes fostered at home from parental examples and blind tolerance.

As adults, it’s up to us to set healthy examples, and to guide our children in a manner conducive to allowing them a certain amount of freedom to grow, explore and decide how to live. Yet, we must never forget that peer pressure is sometimes far more powerful than 16 years of upbringing, and we should not underestimate the potential risks of the gauntlet through which our children pass every day of their adolescent and teenage years.

In essence, our problem is determining the right formula for trust blended with an appropriate degree of latitude to encourage positive growth and a healthy lifestyle. As parents, if we band together, and look out not only for our children, but for every child, peer pressure may someday become more positive¾ Mind over Matter!