CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions and significance of the study, the scope of the study, delimitation, and definition of terms.

Background of the study

Peers are people who are part of the same social group. Peer pressure is the influence of the peer group to an individual, causing them to change their attitudes, values, and behavior. Whatever it may be, sometimes others put the pressure on you to participate in something you may not want to (Hayes).

During this period of adolescence, young people begin to separate themselves from their parents to join people of the same age. The adolescent spends much of his time with the members of his peer group. He follows the ideals of the group and wants to be accepted fully. Nothing can be more devastating to the adolescent than to be rejected by his age mates (Vishala: 2008).

Adolescents are mainly influenced by their peers in such a way that their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are conditioned by what is conceived to be okay by other people. Muzafer Sheriff studied how people were influenced by other people’s opinions.

He carried out his study by performing an experiment and observing individuals involved in what was called the autokinetic effect experiment. The autokinetic effect is a phenomenon of human visual perception in which a stationary, small point of light in an otherwise dark environment appears to move (Dewey: 2008).

The stage of adolescence tends to be the most difficult one throughout the life cycle for it is characterized by dramatic physical, psychological and social changes that are often not well understood by adults.

During this transition, the adolescents face the dilemma of a desire to become socially acceptable adults. Adolescents are members of a minority group at home, but in the peer group, their status is equal to that of others in the group. At home adults largely determine the course of events, whereas within the group they enjoy some degree of self-determination. They are not only free from adult control; they are free from what they consider as over-protection (Lindgren: 1980).

Peer groups with which the adolescents relate provide social reference points for these adolescents. Palmer (2008) noted that peer groups are among the most significant social contexts in adolescence. They help to establish norms of behaviors and normally develop a culture that manifests itself in like language, dress, hairstyle, and drinking habits. Adolescents often experience peer influence to be like other peers at a time when they are trying to be more independent (Tutamwebwa: 2006).

Peer influence is the pressure, planned or unplanned, exerted by peers to influence personal behavior (Palmer: 2008) and peer pressure is the persuasive influence your friends have over you, which can cause you to associate with certain people, to wear certain clothes, to use certain words and to use certain language (Palmer: 2008).

Peers groups create and maintain a culture separate from home in which adolescents are raised. Many young people spend more time with peers than with parents or other family members (Gara: 2006). In Uganda, teachers often write statements on pupils’ reports like “he is capable of better work if he or she changes his or her friends” or “poor work due to bad company” (Tizifa: 1993, p.1).

Peers can exert extraordinary influence over each other in the formation of certain behaviors, among which is alcohol consumption (Yeh: 2006). Peer group influence has been recognized as a powerful socializing agent, from the traditional societies to the present modern societies (Tizifa: 1993).

It was further observed that negative peer influences contribute a lot to the increased use of substances (Johnson, O’Malley & Bachman: 2000). Peer group influence is a common source for the involvement in negative activities for adolescents and friends’ influence is a major factor in adolescence’ alcohol use (Berndt: 1996). It is within the peer group that the young person learns to relate to different roles and to experiment with interpersonal interaction skills that will eventually transfer to the world of adults (Carter & McGoldrick: 2005).

The community may create problems sometimes when peers influence each other to participate in deviant activities. For instance, several studies have revealed a connection between peer pressure and substance abuse (Flannery et al: 1994, Dielman: 1994, Thomas and Hsiu: 1993), cigarette smoking (Newman: 1984), and early sexual behavior (Duncan-Risks: 1992).

In adolescence, a foundation for identity (Brion and Kinney: 1994, Parker and Asher: 1993) is lead. Peers who enjoy positive relationships with other children appear to experience levels of emotional well-being, beliefs about the psychosexual theory of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).

Freud’s central concern was the development of the self-called latency period (a period of relative sexual calm between the turbulence of early childhood and the storminess of adolescence).

Social-cultural theory by Lev Vygotsky (1962-1978) emphasized the way in which interaction with older and more experienced members of the culture can help individuals to learn. Peers become an important influence or behavior during adolescence. Adolescents are often willing to conform to their peers’ behavior in order to be accepted (Newman and Diewman: 1976). Adolescents search for identities by participating in the different behavior of their peers (Allen, Moore and Kuperminc: 1995).

 Social learning theory Albert Bandura (1977) state behavior is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning. Children observe the people around them behaving in various ways.

 Psychosexual theory by Erik Erikson: Psychologist Erik Erikson built upon the work of Sigmund Freud but focused more on social rather than sexual aspects of development. In Erik Erikson’s theory, adolescents are in the fifth stage which is characterized by a conflict between identity and identity confusion. This is when humans must wrestle with the question “who am I” and “where am I headed?”

Statement of the problem

Peer pressure causes one to feel and believe that there can be nothing more existing than belonging to a peer group. The fear of isolation drives them to peer groups who might be doing everything possible just to fit in. Through the interaction with peers, there is the problem of indulging in harmful activities such as drug abuse, alcohol, early sexual activities, and eating patterns.

Also, the adolescent mind is still at the developmental stage therefore it is not possible for him to foresee or understand how certain negative actions will harm his well-being. There is an outcry on the behavior of some of the students in some secondary schools and people are wondering what could be behind all this indiscipline among some students. At the end of it all, the general attitudes of students are affected and this will bear a serious impact on their future. Peer group influence is known to have an effect on the lives of young people, positively or negatively depending on which group one joins.

When children begin school, they join some peer groups and these groups may have a certain influence upon these children among which is the use of drugs, alcohol consumption, and indulgence in early sexual activities. As a result of the above, the student sometimes cannot study comfortably and effectively.

If they lack a support system to guide them in a positive manner they end up engaging in activities that may perceive as existing without really understanding the potential implications on themselves and the values for preserving forms of behavior and social interaction that are stronger and adaptive than do children without positive peer relationship (Bokowski, Parker, Rubin: 1973).

Objectives of the study

Main objective

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of peer pressure on students’ attitudes toward schooling.

Specific objectives

1. To investigate the effect of drug abuse on lack of concentration.
2. To find out if alcohol has an effect on absenteeism from school.
3. To examine the effects of early sexual activities on study habits.