In this paper, we look at the various types of stress affecting adolescents and how the adolescents deal with the stress. It was found that while boys tend to avoid the event, person or actions that is causing the stress, girls tend to deal with their stress. It is theorized that dealing with the stress causes the adolescent female more stress than their male counterpart, who simply avoid the stress. It was also thought that the female participants in the studies that were looked at had significantly higher amounts of stress due to their willingness to report the onset of stress, rather than the males, who were thought to have not reported such factors. It was also found that the various types of stress were influenced by not only peers, but family as well, which, it is believed, holds the highest amount of control over the adolescent.
The Effect of Peer Pressure 1
The effects of Peer Pressure (the experience of feeling forced, told, or dared by others to do a certain task or actually doing particular things because others forced, told, or dared the individual to do so) (Santor, Messervey, & Kusumakaer, 2000) on adolescents (those ranging in age from twelve until fifteen years) differ depending on the stressor (the event, person, or situation, which is causing stress towards the individual) and how the adolescent reacts to the stressor. While there are various adolescent stressors we will be focusing on peer stress (stress associated with pressure from those of the adolescents own age bracket for reasons of acceptance) versus family related stress. By looking at the two, we can begin to see how the two aspects of adolescent stress differ and how they are similar.
Adolescents often feel stressed in school with the many struggles of those around them (Santor, Messervey, & Kusumakaer, 2000). For this instance, the different stressors were categorized as Well-Being, Peer Pressure, Popularity, and Peer Conformity in a school setting. Within each category, there are a variety of subcategories including but not limited to beer consumption, alcohol consumption, cigarette consumption, sexual partners, and number of boy/girlfriends.
In addition, the measure of Well-Being was calculated by means of the BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) to measure dysphoria. Overall, this study concluded the relation between certain stressors and how they distinctly related to each other. Peer Pressure, Popularity and Conformity show that both Peer Pressure and Peer Conformity are linked to each other, that is, students feel great amounts of pressure in both the areas of pleasing their peers and conforming to the expectations of others (Santor, Messervey, & Kusumakaer, 2000).
Coping strategies in adolescents are believed to stem from what the adolescent is taught as a child (Domitrovich & Bierman, 2001). Those who used avoident strategies (avoiding the problem rather than facing it) were also connected to worse levels of adjustment while those who used approach strategies (confronting the stressor rather than evading it) were connected with higher levels of adjustment in adults (Billings and Moos, 1981). Adolescent coping therefore was looked at in several ways, first separated by gender and developmental differences, those who used approach strategies and those who use avoidance strategies.
There was no real connection between such factors as number of siblings with coping and adjustment. However, researchers have an understanding that adolescent coping of stress is dealt individually, each stressor being dealt with in its own way (Ippolito, Griffith, & Dubow, 2000). Gender and developmental differences in females tend to use approach coping rather than males, who tend to use avoident strategies.
Also, adolescent females report more stressful events and say they are more greatly affected by such events, where as the male adolescents of equal age report less stress from the events. It is believed that the greater relation the subject has with the stress-inducer the more stress it causes (Ippolito, Griffith, & Dubow, 2000).
It is thought that female tendencies to approach and confront their stressor rather than the male trend of avoidance is due to the more socialization and interaction with others that the female encounters. However, it is also speculated that females are simply willing to report more stress than males are (Ippolito, Griffith, & Dubow, 2000). An increase of approach strategies is found across the levels with an intense focus on family and peers. More approach strategies are seen and predicted as the adolescent matures.
This is thought to be de to the adolescent gaining a wider array of options and a more independent thinking, however one factor was found to counter this argument when ninth graders tended to use avoidance coping more than seventh and twelfth graders while attempting to cope with school stress (Ippolito, Griffith, & Dubow, 2000). It is believed the transition from a middle school to high school in addition to biological, psychological changes cause the ninth grader to be overwhelmed and therefore more likely to avoid their stressor rather than confront it.
It is believed that the upbringing of a child will ultimately influence their decisions in stressors and how they react towards them (Domitrovich & Bierman, 2001). Parenting practices and child social adjustment, it has been seen that no real connection exists between hostile parenting practices and a child�s social behavior or their response to their peers. In addition, it was found that children who see their parents as warm, affectionate and caring were also nonconfrontational and conflicting with their peers. In the same turn, those who saw their parents as hostile and angry tended to have conflicting interactions with their peers (Domitrovich & Bierman, 2001).
It was also found that peer groups effect an adolescents play a large role in drug use, and a rather small percentage of cigarette smoking (Raphel & Gaviria, 2001). It was also seen that families have a great amount of power of an adolescent�s social group and their school. The belief then arises that parents can focus a large importance on school and education, and with the support of peers who believe the same, a child will develop in much the same manner (Raphel & Gaviria, 2001).
The influence of an adolescent�s age and gender and how they relate to peer situations is also a greatly discussed topic when related to adolescent Peer Pressure. In a study of peer rejection, boys show many various types of subcategories such as withdrawal, anxiety, and underachievement while boys showed similar actions in the same categories, however, the numbers in each category had little or no relation to that of the other gender (Ladd, 1999).
The belief of needing to be accepted and wanted among friends greatly increases ones willingness to succumb to Peer Pressure, especially at such an impressionable time in one�s life. The theories presented thus far prove many important points. There are many factors, which contribute to the cumulative stress of an adolescent. School, family, and peers are just a few of the many stressors that contribute to the total stress of a youth today.
Of those that were measured, it was found in the majority that gender has a significant influence in the amount of stress reported. It is speculated that the females are more likely to report stress than males, who could possibly be suppressing the actual level of stress for the particular report.
However due to their coping methods, the females reported a higher number of approach coping whereas the males used avoidance techniques. It is possible, though not addressed in the study that the females actions of facing the problems causes more stress, whereas the males reaction to the stressor is to avoid it, thereby alleviating the stress by pushing it on the side rather than dealing with it.
Various reports also stated that the surroundings of an individual adolescent has a tremendous impact on their social environment by means of peer pressure and thus on the stress factor in their life. By encouraging a child to take education seriously, and supplementing this with an environment, which prides, focuses or excels in academic excellence, the student will feel the pressure of those around him or her to also succeed.