Hurting to Be "Perfect":
The Risks of a Negative Self-Image
 Succumbing to Peer Pressure
Teenagers who suffer from a poor self-image are more vulnerable to peer pressure, and this can result in risk behaviors such as substance abuse.
Jennifer Dyl, PhD, of the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, says, "If a teen feels good about him or herself and is secure in his or her values it can be easier to stand up to peer pressure and say 'No, that’s not for me,' without being unduly worried about rejection."
Dyl explains that it is often self-confident teenagers, the ones who do not give into peer pressure, that are most enthusiastically accepted by their peers. This is something that individuals with low self-esteem may not realize. She says, "I often find that it is the self-confident teens who say ‘no' who are the ones other teens want to follow. Teens who think negatively about themselves may feel the only way to gain acceptance is to follow peers into negative activities."
Risks of a Negative Self-Image: Eating Disorders >> Back | Hurting to be Perfect |
