Battling Negative Peer Influence among Nigerian Teenagers -By Chibike Nnamba and Chioma Ike-ofomalu

Chibike Nnamba and Chioma Ike-ofomalu

It is indisputable that peer influence is among the most striking social problems plaguing teenagers in present-day Nigeria. According to Newman and New (2008), peer influence or pressure can be used to describe the demands for compliance to customs of a group and exhibiting dedication and loyalty to the members of the group. Simply, it is the pressure to conform, to act against your will or judgment for social reasons. Researchers around the world have proven that peer influence is more powerful than that of the teachers and other people at the helm of authority.

Indeed peer group influence or pressure has manifested its ugly nature in the lives of our teenagers in Nigeria. Lerner et al argues that it is believed that peer influence is one of the major causes of deviant and anti-social behaviour among teenagers, which include sexual immorality, school truancy or skipping of school, indecent dressing, robbery, substance and alcohol abuse, etc. Researchers have also proven that negative peer group influence leads to poor performance in academics. Some students who were known to be academic giants diminish academically each time they mingle with unserious students.

Having stated the endemic dangers and negative effects of peer influence, it is important to proffer sustainable solutions to them, or else the future of Nigerian teenagers will be in jeopardy. Therefore, peer group influence can be battled in the following pragmatic ways:

Be the master of yourself

Be the master of yourself in the areas of making tangible decisions that determine your future. Don’t find it difficult to say ‘No’ to things or acts that will not yield positive result to you tomorrow. Peer pressure can only win one if he/she allows it.

Be mindful in choosing your friends

It is very important to choose like-minded friends. Friends who have the same vision and aspiration to be great tomorrow will not lure you into anti-social acts capable of destroying your future.

Stick to good values

One should always stick to good values taught him/her by his/her parents. Those values always form the backbone of the person’s own values today or in the future. One should draw the line which he/she won’t cross, regardless of the external pressures to do so.

Give miles to bad friends

If one mistakenly made a wrong choice in selecting friends, it is very important to give miles to the friends when you discover them. It is wrong to say: “If you can’t beat them, join them”. Do anything within your reach to avoid bad friends and always leave the scene of friends whose topic of conversion is immoral and unethical.

Negative peer influence can hamper the destiny of a child and should not be given room in our contemporary society. Parents/guardians have roles to play in battling negative peer influence. They should encourage open and honest communication between them and their children/wards. They should encourage their children to come to them when being pressured by their peers to do wrong or risky things. Parents/guardians should also help their children/wards to develop self-confidence. It has been proven that children who feel good about themselves are less vulnerable to peer influence. We strongly have this conviction that the aforementioned ways can help in battling peer influence in our society, if they are implemented.

Chibike Nnamba 13 and Chioma Ike-ofomalu 12, are Junior secondary 3 students at Intellectual Giants Christian Academy, Etche Campus Aba, Abia State. They took the 1st and 2nd positions respectively in the 2017 Innovative Future Essay Writing Competition for Junior Category. Connect with them through ochineduvincent@gmail.com