Is there such a thing as self-inflicted peer pressure?

All my students are on the cusp of adolescence, so it is safe to assume that there will be some changes in attitude and their behaviour in school. This is often not a gradual change, but bursts of sporadic hormones and, more or less, temper tantrums. Unfortunately, there are some behaviours that are just puzzling, that have me taking a step back with my head cocked to the side, startled by the unexpectedness of the situation. It had been a subtle change, forgotten homework and slouched posture that graduated to a whole new level of attitudes and hoodied defiance. Now, as I mentioned before, these are all pre-teens – attitude can be expected sometimes (though never tolerated). But there are some students you would never expect it from, so it comes as a shock when it’s suddenly there.

If I had to guess, I feel it stems from trying to fit in with the “right crowd”. In striving for that, many people are driven to behave in ways that they wouldn’t normally. Most of the time, this change in behaviour and actions stems from the desired friend group pressuring the person in to it. Sometimes, though, the change seems to be self-inflicted.

Is it created by the fear that people aren’t going to like you if you’re just being yourself? It’s ingrained in us to want to be liked – we see the consequences of not being liked, and it’s never very pleasant. Is it attention they’re looking for? If they behave a certain way, get the type of response from the teacher that pulls a reaction from the class, will that group accept them as one of their own? Is the motivation something else entirely?