4.3 Peer influences and violence

Peer influences play a crucial role in shaping attitudes and behaviors related to violence. From childhood rejection to gang involvement, the people we surround ourselves with can either increase or decrease our risk of engaging in violent acts.

Substance abuse often goes hand in hand with peer violence, creating a dangerous cycle. However, there are ways to resist negative influences and build resilience. Developing assertiveness skills, fostering positive relationships, and participating in structured activities can help reduce the impact of harmful peer pressure.

Peer Pressure and Violence

Peer Influence on Attitudes and Behavior

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• Peer pressure is the direct or indirect influence that peers can have on an individual's attitudes, values and behavior
  • This pressure to conform to group norms can be positive (encouraging academic achievement) or negative (encouraging substance use)
• Peer rejection in childhood is a significant risk factor for later aggression and violence
  • Children who are rejected by their peers are more likely to associate with deviant or aggressive peer groups, which can reinforce antisocial behavior
• Peer contagion refers to the tendency for behaviors and emotions to spread through a peer group
  • Aggression and violence can be "contagious" and reinforced among peers through imitation, normalization, and social rewards

Risk Factors and Mechanisms of Peer Influence

• Associating with aggressive or delinquent peers is one of the strongest predictors of violent behavior in adolescence
  • These peer groups may normalize and encourage violence through modeling, social reinforcement, and changes in attitudes over time
• The desire for peer approval and status within a group can motivate violent behavior, especially among adolescent males
  • Violence may be seen as a way to gain respect, prove toughness, or defend one's reputation
• Peer influences interact with individual and family risk factors to increase the likelihood of violent behavior
  • Peer effects are particularly strong when family relationships are strained and community factors (poverty, crime) are also negative

Gang Involvement and Violence

Characteristics of Gangs and Gang Violence

• Gangs are organized groups that are often involved in criminal and violent activities
  • Gang membership is a significant risk factor for violent offending and victimization, with gang members responsible for a disproportionate amount of youth violence
• Gangs typically have an initiation process that may involve committing violent acts as a rite of passage
  • This can desensitize members to violence from an early stage of involvement and establish a norm of brutality
• Gang-related violence often revolves around territory and status
  • Disputes over drug trafficking territories, perceived disrespect, or rivalries with other gangs can quickly escalate to lethal violence involving weapons

Group Dynamics and Leaving the Gang

• The group dynamics and peer pressure within gangs tend to encourage and reward violent behavior
  • Violence may be necessary to maintain status and reputation within the gang hierarchy
• Leaving a gang, or "jumping out", is often a dangerous and violent process
  • Gangs may violently retaliate against former members to discourage others from leaving and to assert their power
• Gang membership can restrict an individual's social networks and opportunities, making it difficult to escape cycles of violence
  • The gang may be their primary source of belonging, identity, protection and resources, which are not easily replaced

Prevention and Intervention Strategies

• Gangs often target and recruit youth who are marginalized and at-risk (living in poverty, struggling in school, lacking family support)
• Prevention efforts need to provide alternative sources of support and intervene early before gang involvement
  • Afterschool programs, mentoring, vocational training, and community outreach can build resilience and reduce the appeal of gangs
• Intervention programs for gang-involved youth should address multiple risk factors simultaneously
  • Wraparound services that include family therapy, substance abuse treatment, educational support, and job skills can help youth transition out of gangs

Substance Abuse and Peer Violence

Co-occurrence and Mutual Influence

• Substance abuse and violence tend to co-occur and reinforce each other, especially among adolescents and young adults
  • Peer groups can influence both behaviors by providing access, modeling, and social incentives to engage in substance use and violence
• Alcohol intoxication can lower inhibitions, impair judgment and increase aggression
  • Binge drinking with peers may lead to fights, sexual assaults or other impulsive violence
• Stimulant drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine can cause paranoia and erratic behavior that may trigger violence
  • These drugs are often used in social settings where disputes can turn violent

Drug Trade and Interpersonal Conflict

• Drug trafficking and distribution within peer networks can lead to violence related to disputes over money or product
  • Peers may fight over deals gone wrong, stolen merchandise, or perceived disrespect in drug transactions
• Substance use disorders can strain relationships and lead to conflicts with family and friends
  • Interpersonal violence may result from arguments over substance use, theft to obtain drugs, or attempts to control behavior
• Peer pressure to use substances can be direct (offers to use) or indirect (normalizing and glorifying use)
  • Spending time with peers who abuse drugs and alcohol provides more opportunities and incentives to use

Integrated Prevention and Treatment

• Prevention programs that target both substance abuse and violence are more effective than treating either issue alone
  • Building skills to resist negative peer influences, cope with stress in healthy ways, and resolve conflicts peacefully is key
• Screening and early intervention for substance use problems can prevent escalation to dependence and associated violence
  • Motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy are evidence-based approaches for reducing substance use in adolescents
• Substance abuse treatment should address any co-occurring mental health issues and trauma that may contribute to violence
  • Anger management, social skills training, and family therapy can be incorporated into addiction treatment to reduce violence risk

Resisting Negative Peer Influences

Individual Skills and Family Support

• Assertiveness and refusal skills training can help youth resist peer pressure to engage in risky or violent behavior
  • Practicing these skills through role-playing builds confidence and self-efficacy to stand up to negative influences
• Strengthening family relationships and communication can make youth less susceptible to negative peer influences
  • Parents can monitor peer associations, set clear expectations for behavior, and provide emotional support during conflicts with peers
• Cognitive-behavioral interventions teach youth to identify and challenge the thoughts and beliefs that contribute to aggression
  • Developing an awareness of peer influences and learning to question assumptions (everyone is doing it) is an important component

Positive Peer Associations and Norms

• Structured extracurricular activities (sports teams, clubs) provide opportunities for prosocial peer interaction
  • Adult-supervised activities reduce unsupervised socializing that may lead to deviant behavior and promote teamwork and shared goals
• Mentoring programs pair at-risk youth with a positive adult role model who can provide guidance and support
  • Mentors can help youth expand their social network, explore new interests, and navigate peer challenges
• Social norms campaigns use media and peer-to-peer messaging to correct misperceptions about the prevalence of violence
  • Shifting perceived norms (most students think fighting is unacceptable) can reduce the social acceptability and perceived benefits of violence

School and Community Environment

• School-wide positive behavior support systems reinforce prosocial behaviors and provide clear expectations for student conduct
  • Rewarding kindness, cooperation and peaceful conflict resolution fosters a positive school climate and healthy peer relationships
• Improving school climate and increasing student connectedness can buffer against negative peer influences
  • When students feel valued and supported by teachers and peers, they are less likely to engage in violence to gain status or approval
• Community-based programs can provide safe spaces and prosocial activities for youth during high-risk hours (after school, weekends)
  • Recreational programs, leadership development, and community service projects can foster a sense of belonging and reduce exposure to neighborhood violence