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When you hear the words “peer pressure” what comes to mind? You might think about that time your mom told you not to listen to peer pressure and to be yourself. Maybe it makes you think about being pressured to drink or try weed as a teen. What age group comes to mind when you think of this term?
While it’s generally true that teenagers are the most vulnerable when it comes to peer pressure, this doesn’t mean it stops as you get older. Sometimes it’s more noticeable than others, but it can occur in many situations.
Recently, I brought my dog to a family event in the country. There were three other dogs there who were off-leash, but my dog wasn’t because I knew she wouldn’t stick around if she was. I had more than one person comment on it, and my uncle tried to convince me to just “let her go.” While part of it was obviously just jokes, we’ve all been in situations like this where you can tell you’re doing something that’s against the current group’s “norm,” and it can make you feel like you need to change in order to avoid judgment.
Drinking peer pressure can occur at any age, from teenagers egging on their friend to take a sip of a beer they stole out of the fridge, to adults at a Sunday night football party jeering at their friend for not wanting a Coors.
Simply being aware of peer pressure doesn’t always make it easier to manage, but our goal is to provide more educational information regarding substance use and the cultures around it.
Our team here at Serenity Lane knows a thing or two about substance use. We are the oldest non-profit rehab program in the state of Oregon. Let’s talk more about drinking, peer pressure, and how to address them.
Peer pressure doesn’t stop when you leave school. In fact, a study conducted regarding peer pressure and drinking found that many adults beyond age 18 still found peer pressure around drinking to be fairly common.
It’s important to note that peer pressure doesn’t have to be inherently negative. There can also be positive peer pressure regarding substance use and drinking. This is normally people who are understanding and supportive of an individual's decisions, encouraging them to do what they feel is best for them. This can make a person more likely to think about what they want to do, instead of continuing down a path because they’ve been forced to.
Another study on the impacts of peer pressure regarding substance use found that those who were exposed to negative peer pressure toward substance use were more likely to engage in binge drinking. On the other hand, those who were exposed to positive peer pressure were less likely to engage in lifetime alcohol use.
One of the biggest factors regarding peer pressure and a person’s reaction to it is their mental health and support system. If the group that is pressuring them are their only friends, they might be more inclined to go along with what’s suggested so they don’t feel left out. Additionally, if they have things like untreated depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns they might already be looking for an outlet for their side effects, or they might be more susceptible to peer pressure.
On the other side of the coin, people who pressure others tend to do so from a place of their own insecurities. If they have any guilt or second-guesses about what they’re doing, having others do it with them makes that guilt lessened. They can feel like someone not participating in an event like drinking means that person is judging the others. Overall it tends to also stem from untreated mental health conditions, especially in regard to their own self-worth.
Much of a teen’s life revolves around their friends. Because they spend 8 hours a day surrounded by the same people, it’s easy to understand why they can be so important to them. Growing up already has many of its own unique challenges, but one that most teens commonly face is the journey of figuring out who you are. This can come with many roadblocks, including peer acceptance. It’s not easy to be accepting of yourself if all of your peers are telling you not to.
This desire for acceptance directly correlates with peer pressure and underage drinking. Over 20% of people aged 12-20 in Oregon reported past month alcohol use in 2021.
While there are some studies revolving around family structure and alcohol use, the results are a bit more nuanced. A study from 2013 references how family structure and alcohol use can translate to future alcohol use disorders among children. This study showed that single parent homes had a higher influence over their child and their development than two-parent homes. This means that if the single parent was an alcoholic, their child would be more likely to follow in their footsteps. There isn’t an inherent coordination between single parents and alcohol use, otherwise.
The family dynamic as a whole can be a major influence on a child’s development. Alcohol use disorders occur from a combination of things, one of them being childhood and family dynamics.
Being faced with pressure from others, especially your friends, isn’t always easy to manage. If you don’t know how to react or what your tools are before you’re in the situation, you might be more likely to “cave” in the long run. Let’s talk about some helpful tips on how to handle peer pressure and alcohol.
The most important thing you should take away from this is that your boundaries are important and deserve to be respected. Sometimes the best option is to remove yourself or avoid situations where you feel you might be pressured. There are people out there who will support you and your desires and not try to force you to do things you don’t want to do.
It’s important to remember that failure doesn’t mean a whole situation or person is “ruined.” When you learn to ride a bike, you often fall down many times before you stay up. Even then, sometimes you still hit a snag and fall down even after years of experience. This same principle applies to both drinking and recovery. Just because you’ve submitted to peer pressure once doesn’t mean you have to again.
If you’ve been experiencing a lot of peer pressure to drink, or maybe you’ve decided to start a recovery journey away from alcohol use, Serenity Lane has you covered. We’re well-versed in all walks of life and recovery from alcohol consumption. We offer the full continuum of care for alcoholism treatment, from detox to inpatient and outpatient treatment. Our team is fully equipped to help you through alcohol withdrawals, to learn the skills you need to build a foundation of recovery, and more. We want to see you reach your healing goals.
If you have any questions about alcohol use, recovery, or more, don’t be afraid to reach out to our Serenity Lane team at (800) 543-9905 at any time. Our knowledgeable and licensed staff is here to help you.
What is the peer pressure of drinking?
Drinking peer pressure is the specific peer pressure to drink with others. This can be anything from having a single beverage to being pressured into drinking more than you originally wanted to.
How many college students drink because of peer pressure?
60% of young adults say they feel peer pressure for drinking is common in their age group.
How do friends influence alcohol consumption?
Friends influence many things, and alcohol consumption is one of them. A person will be more likely to drink if their friends are, especially if those friends are encouraging or pressuring them to drink, too.
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