Analysis of Peer Pressure and Teenage Smoking in UK

This research project investigates the impact of peer pressure on teenage smoking habits in the UK. The study aims to determine the role of peer influence in causing teenagers to adopt smoking, analyzing the link between peer pressure and smoking behavior. The objectives include examining the role of peer pressure, determining the connection between peer pressure and smoking, and assessing the health impacts of smoking on teenagers. The research methodology involves a survey of 20 teenage students in the UK, utilizing both primary and secondary sources, including questionnaires and existing literature. The findings indicate that a majority of UK teenagers are addicted to smoking due to peer pressure, negatively affecting their health. The report concludes with recommendations for government and school authorities to organize awareness campaigns and programs to help teenagers overcome this adverse habit. The research highlights the importance of understanding and addressing the influence of peers on teenage smoking behavior.

RESEARCH
PROJECT

AC 4.3 ABSTRACT
The main purpose of the research is to determine the role of the peer pressure in causing
the teenagers to adopt the habit of smoking. The aim of the study was to analyse the impact of
peer pressure, because of which teenagers start smoking. The objectives were concentric around
three main criteria. The first objective is analysation of the peer pressure's role upon the teenager.
The second objective is about determining the existing link in-between smoking & peer-pressure.
The third objective is analysation of the impact imposed by smoking on teenagers.
The main finding of the research stated that majority of the teenagers in UK are addicted
towards the habit of smoking as a result of pressure faced from peers. This has also adversely
affected their health.
The main recommendation is accounted for the government and school authorities to
organize various awareness campaigns and programmes that will help the teenagers to get free
from such adverse habit.

Table of Contents
AC 4.3 ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................2
AC 2.2 & 2.3 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1
AC 2.2 & 5.1 RESEARCH METHOD............................................................................................2
AC 4.2 RESULTS............................................................................................................................5
AC 2.2, 2.3, 3.1 & 5.2 DISCUSSION.............................................................................................9
AC 3.1 & 4.3 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................10
AC 5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................................11
AC 4.4 REFERENCES..................................................................................................................12
APPENDIX - 1..............................................................................................................................14
APPENDIX – 2..............................................................................................................................15

Research Title :- “To analyse the impact of peer pressure, because of which teenagers start
smoking.”
AC 2.2 & 2.3 INTRODUCTION
The main purpose of the research is to determine the impact of peer pressure upon
teenagers. This adversely affects them because as a result of peer pressure, teenagers often start
smoking as stated by Bell, (2014).
Aim :-
To analyse the habit of cigarette smoking among teenagers due to the peer pressure. Peers
act as an exemplar for the kids as they grow. However, this has turned out to be a perturbing
process for the teenagers. The increasing rate of pandering into this risky behaviour of smoking
by teenagers has been the main cause of choosing the topic.
Objective:-
 To examine the role of peer pressure on teenagers.
 To determine the link between peer pressure and smoking. To analyse the impact of smoking upon the health of teenagers.
Research Questions:-
 What is the role of peer pressure on teenagers?
 What is the link between peer pressure and the habit of smoking?
 What is impact of smoking on the health of teenagers?
According to Flick, (2015), peer pressure or the social-pressure is a type of direct impact
upon the individuals by their peers. As per this pressure, teenagers tend to follow the habits of
their peers by introducing change in their behaviour as well as values as argued by Hannes and
Parylo, (2014).
The sociological theory states that smoking at the teenage is considered a primary social-
activity. The researches that have already been conducted, state that the peer pressure is
significant-factor in the up-taking of the smoking as stated by Mailhot, Gagnon and Binette,
(2016). The peer groups that mainly influence a teenager include, best-friendship, small & large
social-networks, romantic-attachment. According to the report of TEEN SMOKING SURVEY,
(2017), each type of group falling in above mentioned category majorly influence the decision
taken by a teenager of either smoking or not-smoking.
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According to opinions given by Moyers, Houck and Miller, (2016), the importance of the
influence imposed by peers has been overestimated. In addition to this, the smoking behaviour is
clustered among the peer-groups because teenagers tend to seek friendship with those persons
who inhibit similar habits. And among these similar habits, smoking is regarded as one of the
signifiers as stated in the essay of Teenage Addiction to Smoking Essay, (2017).
Another theory that is the psychological theory effectively examines the habit of smoking
as argued by Napoli, Bohn and Di-Giglio, (2015). A cigarette consists of nicotine which causes
addiction towards smoking. Once a teenage gets addicted towards smoking, it becomes quite
difficult to break the habit. Many psychologists have claimed that such addictive habits are
usually attained from the peers and other individuals.
As per the biological theory stated in the report, The smoking behaviour of peers, and
peer attitudes and norms, (2017), it could be said that smokers are not born, rather they are made
by seeking and learning from the habits of other peer groups as argued by Polonsky and Waller,
(2014).
The researcher has chosen the topic because of the interests shown in observing the
teenage habits and most significant habit is accounted to be smoking. The main factor
responsible for this is the peer pressure. So to evaluate effectively the role of peer pressure in the
adapting of smoking by teenagers, researcher will be utilising various research methodologies.
Furthermore, qualitative analysis will be conducted to gather the desired outcomes as per the set
objectives. Also, primary and secondary sources have been utilised to gather information. The
survey will also be conducted in form of questionnaire (Simmons and Quinn, 2014). The
outcomes of the questionnaire will be appropriately analysed in form of graphs and pie charts.
And on the basis of those outcomes, necessary recommendations will be given.
AC 2.2 & 5.1 RESEARCH METHOD Participants : The participants that were involved within the research include 20 teenage
students of 16 year age at UK. These students regularly go their schools and also go for
outings with their friends. The utilised approach will be focussed upon the diversified
ethnic as well as racial group for production of significant knowledge (Smith, 2015). As
per the research design, operationalization will be used where the analysation 7
measurement of smoking in teenagers will be indicated by the impact imposed by peer-
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pressure. The sampling will be done randomly wherein each of the member in selected
population of UK's teenagers is likely to get selected. Material : The questionnaire will be circulated among the selected sample of respondents
which will have an inclusion of both open and close ended questions. The questionnaire
will enable to know the diversified viewpoints of teenagers regarding the habit of
smoking. All the questions will be formulated on the basis of set themes by the research
questions. As per the methodology of collecting data, both primary and secondary
sources will be utilised. Primary sources will be incorporating legal & historic document,
statistical data, videos & sound recordings. However, articles, journals, newspaper
published materials will be used as secondary sources.
 Procedure : The approach that the researcher will be utilising is the inductive procedure.
This process will be assisting the researcher to carry his research-work in more detailed
manner by aid of theories and hypothesis. In addition, the interpretivism category will
also be used for gathering facts to be further studied in deep (Pitcher, Jiménez and
Reguera, 2017). Also, the main task that will be effectively managed is the associated
ethical as well as practical issues. Ethical issues such as the maintenance of privacy
regarding respondents identity was appropriately done and they will be known as their
identity of being a student. The practical issue of selecting the appropriate approach for
research were also addressed by choosing the interpretivism approach. Furthermore, the
primary as well as secondary sources used that is articles, newspaper, survey of
questionnaire provided authenticated and valid informations which could be treated as
reliable facts for formulating the results.
→ Planning the procedure for research-work
Activity July, 2017 August, 2017 September,
2017
October, 2017
5 15 24 31 6 12 20 27 7 14 22 31 4 16 20 27
Choosing the research-
title
Developing the
3

proposal for research
Going through the
various sources of
literature
Final aim and
objectives formulation
Drafting the literature-
review
Secondary-data
collection
Analysation of the
collected secondary-
data
Research approach
development
Questionnaire
formulation
Interview conduction
Data accumulation
Collecting & analysing
the data
Completing the
remaining chapter
After submission to the
the tutor awaiting for
feedback
Introducing the
4

changes
Printing & binding the
final-draft
Complete
 Limitations involved & advice : The research will definitely involve some limitations as
well. The researcher has to limit the privacy of the respondents that is teenage students.
Furthermore, accessing the legal documents will be another limitation. It is therefore
advised to the researchers who would be carrying research in future on similar topic that
they need to maintain the privacy of the respondents. Since these are teenage students so
this survey should not affect them in any harm. Also, they need to effectively analyse the
obtained outcomes appropriately. Also, it is most importantly advised to formulate the
questions of questionnaire survey according to the themes set by the research questions.
AC 4.2 RESULTS
The gathering of information has been done from 20 teenage students of UK and it is
analysed on the basis of questionnaire circulated among them. This will effectively assist to
determine the role played by peer pressure in causing the teenagers to smoke.
Theme 1 : Pressures in which teenagers are forced
Criteria Responses
Pressurized in in-taking drugs 2
Pressurized in smoking 15
Pressurized for playing pranks 1
Pressurized for breaking the rules 2
5

2
15
12
Pressurized in in-taking drugs
Pressurized in smoking
Pressurized for playing pranks
Pressurized for breaking the
rules
Theme 2 : Irresistible pressure from peers
Criteria Responses
Family-members 1
Bullies in school 6
Friends 13
6

Family-members Bullies in school Friends
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1
6
13
Responses
Theme 3 : Forms of peer-pressure that is most influential
Criteria Responses
Guilt 0
Bribery 4
Ridicules 8
Requests 7
Threats 1
7

Guilt
Bribery
Ridicules
Requests
Threats
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0
4
8
7
1
Responses
Theme 4 : Way in which peer-pressure has affected
Criteria Responses
Positively 0
Negatively 18
Both positive and negative 0
Not influenced by peer-pressure 2
8

18
2
Positively
Negatively
Both positive and negative
Not influenced by peer-
pressure
AC 2.2, 2.3, 3.1 & 5.2 DISCUSSION
Theme 1 : Pressures in which teenagers are forced
Description : from the above conducted questionnaire it was found out that, majority of
the 15 respondents were pressurized into smoking by their peers. The remaining 2 were
pressurized for in-taking of drugs. Other 2 students stated that they were pressurized for breaking
the rules of schools. And the remaining 1 teenager stated that he was pressurized for playing
pranks in school. So, overall it can be said that man y of the teenagers in UK are forced or
pressurized for doing smoking by their peers. This needs to be paid attention by the government
of UK as well as the school authorities. Both government and school authorities need to organise
campaigns specially for the teenage students who are easily grabbed under the influence of peer
pressure.
Theme 2 : Irresistible pressure from peers
Description : From the above conducted questionnaire, it was found out that majority of
the respondents were highly affected by the pressure from their friends as stated by the 13
respondents. The remaining 6 students stated that they were affected or pressurized because of
teasing done by the bullies. The remaining 1 respondent stated that their family members were
also responsible. So it can overall be stated that teenagers are hugely affected by the habits of
their peers and mainly by their friends. Seeing their friends smoke cause theme to easily adopt
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