Keeping kids safe at home is one thing, but protecting them from the bad and sometimes even dangerous influence of their peers is a completely different ball game altogether. You may have heard quite a few peer pressure stories, or rather horror stories, already about teens smoking cigarettes or consuming alcohol due to the influence of their ‘friends’ at school. While conventional wisdom identifies external influence as the sole perpetrator of such inappropriate behavior, some researchers suggest that it’s the parents rather than peer pressure that drives teens towards substance abuse.

Teens more influenced by parents than peers

The notion that parents are responsible for teens indulging in smoking or drinking was first expressed by researchers at Columbia University and Queens College in New York over a decade ago. Defying what were traditionally believed to be facts about peer pressure and its relation to smoking and underage drinking, they held the parents responsible, claiming that the influence of parents is far greater than that of peers on kids.

Being in the developmental stage, teens indeed explore their surroundings to discover their path. At such a time, finding their parents smoking or drinking makes them more acceptable to the idea of smoking or consuming such substances and this attitude may continue to persist as they cross the threshold and begin their journey through their adolescence.

This influence of parents is what guides them during the friend selection process, as they try to get into groups that share their viewpoint on different things, including an acceptance of substance abuse. The peer pressure often recognized as the perpetrator is merely a consequence of what the kids have picked up from their parents.

The role of peer pressure too significant to ignore

While the researchers pinned the larger portion of the blame for inappropriate behavior in kids on parents, they had clearly downplayed the impact of peer pressure. The desire for acceptance and popularity, especially during the adolescence years, and the fear of rejection can make them forget all that their parents have taught them and drive them to do what others, primarily the popular kids are doing. The statistics shedding light on the impact of peer pressure on teens is nothing short of alarming. A substantial percentage of kids are exposed to drugs, alcohol, and even sexual activity during their middle or high school years, courtesy of their peers.

The need for intervention and guidance

Peer pressure is indeed a formidable force, one that can truly put your perseverance and commitment to the goal of keeping your kids safe to test. However, keeping the viewpoint of researchers at Columbia University and Queens College in mind, you may have far more influence on your young ones than you think. Talk to your kids about right and wrong without assuming that you’re just wasting your energy. Also them about the situations where they may face peer pressure and teach them how to handle such a situation. If the need arises, punish them, though make sure the punishment makes sense of light of whatever it was that they did. It’d also worthwhile to discuss positive peer pressure with them, like competing with a peer in class for highest grade for instance.

As a parent, it is important for you to understand that your kids look up to you just as much as they look up to the most popular kids in their school. The odds aren’t exactly in your favor when competing against peer pressure for influencing teens, but there is still enough chance of success there for you to put in your hundred percent.