Searcy, AR. (LP) — In a survey done by Parent Further, it stated that only 10% of the surveyed teens had said no when they were faced with peer pressure. That should definitely be an eye opener for everyone, especially for students in high school. Peer pressure is everywhere nowadays. Outside of school, people are pressured to do certain things. Those may include, sneaking out to go to parties, lie to parents, cheat, and partake in sexual things with their partner. The Kaiser Foundation states that nearly 50% of adolescents between the ages of 12-8 feel pressured into having sex in relationships. In school, teens feel pressured to make fun of other kids and feel the need to dress a certain way to feel accepted. Even if the peer pressure is visible or not, 49% of the time students feel pressured. Payton Graham, a freshman at SHS, has a comment about peer pressure at Searcy High School. She states, “I haven’t seen any. But I wouldn’t doubt that there would be. Just depends on who you hang around with.” Many people hang around the wrong crowd and it leads them to do wrong things. It is most likely that if someone does something around you, you will start to come naturally to you. 

Students may feel the need to do certain things, to seem cool to other people. Social standing is everything to teens today. Many students at Searcy High School can confirm that. It is certain that peer pressure happens at public schools, but would you expect it to happen at private high schools too? Gabby Langley, a Harding Academy student states, “Peer pressure actually does happen at private schools. I always feel pressured about what I wear isn’t approved by the students here. I’m also under a lot of pressure from the students that I have to be perfect and set the perfect example as the Harding Academy student.” 

There’s a positive side to peer pressuring too. An example would be, if you’re a naturally down person hanging around positive people, it would make you feel pressured to be a more positive person. Students should learn to exhibit positive peer pressuring and build each other up. Many students here have opinions on peer pressuring. Payton says, “I personally don’t agree with it, obviously. And it’s easy to fall under depending on who you are and how committed you are to not do something.” One should have a guard up and should say no when you’re uncomfortable with doing something you shouldn’t be doing. Parents also have opinions on peer pressuring. A parent of a student here at Searcy High had a great point to add to this article. Emily Powell states, “My daughter comes home and talks about seeing students bringing other students down about themselves. In my opinion, I wish students would bring each other up. Especially when the world is against them nowadays. Many adults also think down on them when all these negative things keep happening. So, students should come together and do great things instead of pressuring them to do bad.”