Editing Peer pressure (section)

=== Peer pressure and sexual intercourse ===
There is evidence supporting the conclusion that parental attitudes disapproving sex tends to lead toward lower levels of adolescent unplanned pregnancy.<ref name="Teen Preg2">{{Cite journal |last1=Hampton |first1=Mary Rucklos |last2=McWatters |first2=Barb |last3=Jeffery |first3=Bonnie |last4=Smith |first4=Pamela |date=2005 |title=Influence of Teens' Perceptions of Parental Disapproval and Peer Behaviour on Their Initiation of Sexual Intercourse |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228462762 |journal=The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality |volume=14 |issue=3–4 |pages=105–121 |issn=1188-4517}}</ref> These disparities are not due solely to parental disposition but also to communication.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

A study completed in Cape Town, South Africa, looked at students at four secondary schools in the region. They found a number of unhealthy practices derived from peer pressure: condoms are derided, threats of ridicule for abstinence, and engaging in sexual activity with multiple partners as part of a status symbol (especially for males). The students colloquially call others who choose abstinence as "umqwayito", which means dried fruit/meat. An important solution for these problems is communication with adults, which the study found to be extremely lacking within adolescent social groups.<ref name="pmid19493988">{{cite journal | vauthors = Selikow TA, Ahmed N, Flisher AJ, Mathews C, Mukoma W | title = I am not "umqwayito": a qualitative study of peer pressure and sexual risk behaviour among young adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa | journal = Scand J Public Health | volume = 37 |issue=Suppl 2 | pages = 107–12 | date = June 2009 | pmid = 19493988 | doi = 10.1177/1403494809103903 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

Another investigation, completed in 2011, looked at the effect of peer pressure surrounding sexual activities in the youth surrounding US born Mexicans and Mexico born Mexicans. It summarized that US born Mexican youths are more susceptive of peer pressure, specifically towards sexual relations, than Mexico born youths.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Killoren |first1=Sarah E. |last2=Updegraff |first2=Kimberly A. |last3=Scott |first3=Christopher F. |last4=Umaña-Taylor |first4=Adriana J. |date=Feb 1, 2012 |title=Mothers, Fathers, Peers, and Mexican-Origin Adolescents' Sexual Intentions |volume=73 |issue=1 |pages=209–220 |journal=Journal of Marriage and the Family |doi=10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00799.x |pmc=3026176 |pmid=21278903}}</ref> It has been found that Mexican born youths grow up with stronger familial households than US born Mexico born youths, which leads to why Mexico born youths are more apt to talk with family than with peers.<ref name=":6" /> Less interaction with peers means less influence with peers and more trust in family.

Literature reviews in this field have attempted to analyse the norms present in the interactions and decision making behind these behaviors. A review conducted by Bongardt et al. defined three types of peer norms that led to a person's participation in sexual intercourse: descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and outright peer pressure. Descriptive norms and injunctive norms are both observed behaviors and are thus more indirect forms of pressure, but differ in one key aspect: descriptive norms describe peers' sexual behaviors, but injunctive norms describe peers' attitudes toward those behaviors (e.g. approval or disapproval). The last norm defined by the study is called "peer pressure" by the authors, and is used to describe direct encouragement or pressure by a person's peers to engage in sexual behavior.

The review found that indirect norms (descriptive and injunctive) had a stronger effect on a person's decision to engage in sexual behavior than direct peer pressure. Between the two indirect norms, descriptive norms had a stronger effect: people were likely to try what they thought their peers were engaging in rather than what they thought had approval in their peer group.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bongardt|first1=Daphne van de|last2=Reitz|first2=Ellen |last3=Sandfort|first3=Theo|last4=Deković |first4=Maja|date=2015-08-01|title=A Meta-Analysis of the Relations Between Three Types of Peer Norms and Adolescent Sexual Behavior|journal=Personality and Social Psychology Review |volume=19|issue=3 |pages=203–234|doi=10.1177/1088868314544223|issn=1088-8683|pmid=25217363|pmc=5871927}}</ref>

Additionally, studies have found a link between self-regulation and likeliness to engage in sexual behavior. The more trouble an individual had with self-regulation and self-control growing up, the more they were likely to fall prey to peer pressure that would lead them to engage in risky sexual acts. Based on these findings, it may be a good idea to prevent these through either a decision-making program or by targeting adolescents' ability to self-regulate against possible risks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Crockett |first1=Lisa J. |last2=Raffaelli |first2=Marcela |last3=Shen |first3=Yuh-Ling |date=2006 |title=Linking Self-Regulation and Risk Proneness to Risky Sexual Behavior: Pathways through Peer Pressure and Early Substance Use |url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1131&context=psychfacpub |journal=Journal of Research on Adolescence |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=503–525 |doi=10.1111/j.1532-7795.2006.00505.x |access-date=November 1, 2016 |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019203800/http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1131&context=psychfacpub |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:CDC- Tips From Former Smokers - Sharon’s Peer Pressure Story.webm| thumb|220x124px | right]]