A teenager may even indulge in sexual activities due to negative peer pressure. Here are some facts about peer pressure and sex and parenting tips for helping teenagers cope with it.The fact that the age at which teens is having sex for the first time is getting lower and lower with each passing year. Blame it on the rapidly globalised or fast paced lifestyle or the inability of the parents to be with their kids for 24x7 or the slackening of the societal morals, it is a fact that cannot be ignored. According to behavioural psychologists, in majority of the cases where a teen has sex very is due to negative peer pressure. Peer pressure is a predominant factor in a teen’s life. For a teen it is extremely important to ‘fit in’ to a group and be accepted by it. Sex is one of the activities that a teen is encouraged or coerced to engage in as otherwise they are subtly made to be feel ‘un-cool’ or uptight and thereby lose popularity. In this articleFigures on Sex And Peer PressureAct With CautionSo Take the Monster Head On Be Practical Enough to Cite Logical ReasonsFigures on Sex And Peer Pressure It has been found in a number of studies involving teen psychology and their corresponding behaviour in society that when guys reach the age of 15 or 17, they are made to feel that having sex is very important in order to prove that they have grown up into a man. This is indeed a very harmful coercion as the boys are at their puberty stage where a number of changes are taking place in their hormones. They are gradually coping with the physical changes and are exploring themselves in a whole new way. They are far from matured individuals. Further, in this phase it is easy to lure a teen as they are already overwhelmed by this mad rush of hormones in their bodies. Being immature they are not able to realise the impact of early sexual behaviour and how it might affect their future health and relationships. Girls in their teens are reportedly under a lesser peer pressure as far as sexual activity is concerned. The puberty changes in the body as true for the adolescent girls as it is with boys. They are also not aware of safe sex methods, pregnancy issues and above all the mental repercussions of the act. What Can Parents Do? Act With Caution In order to effectively deal with peer pressure and sex, parents need to act more maturely and responsibly. In the current scenario sex is out there everywhere. One can find it screaming through the advertisement billboards, television commercials and serials, movies and above all there is the internet. So it is just not logically possible to shun the presence of media from the kid’s life. Further any attempt to cut him off from them which are also serious sources of information will have a negative impact on their developmental faculties. So Take the Monster Head On This process actually starts with the early conditioning of the kid. Start by teaching the value system to the kid much before the peer pressure scenario actually starts in his or her life. Teach the kid that is essential to adhere to certain principles and that these are a part of self-discipline. But do not come across as a mere moral preacher. Be Practical Enough to Cite Logical Reasons Explain how important it is to observe abstinence till one is physically and mentally mature. Talk about health concerns. Teach her that sexual intercourse does not end being just a physical act. It ought to be a responsible behaviour as the psychological state of the person is also a matter of concern. You need to instill confidence and self-belief in your child. Help him understand that it is very important to respect one’s body and command the respect of other’s as well on the same. One should not allow anyone else to abuse it and it is not a mark of good understanding to commoditise it. It is then that they realise that it is possible not to relent to peer pressure in such issues.
A teenager may even indulge in sexual activities due to negative peer pressure. Here are some facts about peer pressure and sex and parenting tips for helping teenagers cope with it.The fact that the age at which teens is having sex for the first time is getting lower and lower with each passing year. Blame it on the rapidly globalised or fast paced lifestyle or the inability of the parents to be with their kids for 24x7 or the slackening of the societal morals, it is a fact that cannot be ignored. According to behavioural psychologists, in majority of the cases where a teen has sex very is due to negative peer pressure.
Peer pressure is a predominant factor in a teen’s life. For a teen it is extremely important to ‘fit in’ to a group and be accepted by it. Sex is one of the activities that a teen is encouraged or coerced to engage in as otherwise they are subtly made to be feel ‘un-cool’ or uptight and thereby lose popularity.
It has been found in a number of studies involving teen psychology and their corresponding behaviour in society that when guys reach the age of 15 or 17, they are made to feel that having sex is very important in order to prove that they have grown up into a man. This is indeed a very harmful coercion as the boys are at their puberty stage where a number of changes are taking place in their hormones. They are gradually coping with the physical changes and are exploring themselves in a whole new way. They are far from matured individuals. Further, in this phase it is easy to lure a teen as they are already overwhelmed by this mad rush of hormones in their bodies. Being immature they are not able to realise the impact of early sexual behaviour and how it might affect their future health and relationships.
Girls in their teens are reportedly under a lesser peer pressure as far as sexual activity is concerned. The puberty changes in the body as true for the adolescent girls as it is with boys. They are also not aware of safe sex methods, pregnancy issues and above all the mental repercussions of the act.
What Can Parents Do?
Act With Caution
In order to effectively deal with peer pressure and sex, parents need to act more maturely and responsibly. In the current scenario sex is out there everywhere. One can find it screaming through the advertisement billboards, television commercials and serials, movies and above all there is the internet. So it is just not logically possible to shun the presence of media from the kid’s life. Further any attempt to cut him off from them which are also serious sources of information will have a negative impact on their developmental faculties.
So Take the Monster Head On
This process actually starts with the early conditioning of the kid. Start by teaching the value system to the kid much before the peer pressure scenario actually starts in his or her life. Teach the kid that is essential to adhere to certain principles and that these are a part of self-discipline. But do not come across as a mere moral preacher.
Be Practical Enough to Cite Logical Reasons
Explain how important it is to observe abstinence till one is physically and mentally mature. Talk about health concerns. Teach her that sexual intercourse does not end being just a physical act. It ought to be a responsible behaviour as the psychological state of the person is also a matter of concern.
You need to instill confidence and self-belief in your child. Help him understand that it is very important to respect one’s body and command the respect of other’s as well on the same. One should not allow anyone else to abuse it and it is not a mark of good understanding to commoditise it. It is then that they realise that it is possible not to relent to peer pressure in such issues.
