What the researchers found is that “the path is straightforward,” or as researcher Joseph Allen, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia explained to TIME Magazine, “It is more like a tightrope walk between trying to connect well with peers on one side and avoiding getting swept up into peer influences toward deviant behavior.”
The study showed that teens who best resisted peer pressure during junior high were less likely to engage in criminal behavior and face lawsuits. Unfortunately, this ability to resist peer pressure can also be isolating; the same group also had fewer and weaker friendships as adults.
Meanwhile, those who have the strongest interactions as adults were teens who walked a middle ground, remaining open to peer influence, but not allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the pressure to conform.
Friendships formed early in life are part of growing up, contrary to what others believe that children shouldn’t have best friends. What parents and educators should take note of is the kind of friendship made during adolescent years.
Students of North Central Texas Academy in Happy Hill Farm are encouraged to form healthy relationships with their peers. Learn more about student life in the academy here.
