Deviance in the Adult World

Previously in this web quest we have explored all the varies stages an individual goes through developmentally before reaching the level of adulthood and many of the pressure groups one confronts during those periods. Just when you thought it was all over along comes a whole new set of factions to pressure you in both negative and positive ways during your adult life. Oh, and let’s not forget the psychological baggage a person can carry from pressure groups formerly confronted.

The dreaded school yard bullies are but a distant memory, or are they? Not according to The Workplace Bullying & Trauma Institute. This type of peer pressure, according to Dr. Gary Namie a social psychologist and Dr. Ruth Namie a clinical psychologist, who co-founded WBTI is more prevalent than most people think. They have a web site covering many surprising statistics of workplace pressuring and its effect on the victim. http://www.bullyinginstitute.org/ A website that ties in nicely with the WBTI site touches on the consequences of past experiences and their resulting behavioral leftovers. The baggage a person carries with them, be they victim or perpetrator, into adult life can have consequences for both according to Ron Banks at http://www.nldontheweb.org/Banks_1.htm

Pressure takes on a different aspect in marriage depending on the gender of the victim. In no other stage of one’s life, except in the child/parent paradigm, is the peer pressure group so intimate with its victim. When a woman is pressured in marriage it can take the form of physical, sexual, or mental abuse. This can also be applied to male victims but the frequency of such events is minimal. Wikipedia’s definition provides a good entry into understanding this type of pressure on an individual. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_violence For warning signs and types of abuse one could also take a look at: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/domestic_violence_abuse_types_signs_causes_effects.htm#emotional This website discusses in depth what constitutes different types of abuse.

An unintended victim of domestic abuse perpetrated on one adult by another adult are the children. Children of parents involved in domestic abuse, when they grow up are more likely to continue the cycle of violence, visiting it upon their own children. This is seen in the male population statistically more often than in the female population. More evidence of how psychological baggage can carry through multiple stages of a person’s life.

When it comes to pressure the advertising agencies are royalty in that domain. To make us want something we do not necessarily need or to make us believe we have to look a certain way is their job. Every time you open a newspaper, a magazine, or a book you are exposed to peer pressure. Every time you watch television, listen to the radio, or watch a film, peer pressure again rears its head. If you want more information on this type of peer pressure take a look at: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=240&np=300&id=2059

This type of pressure can be as innocuous as a glamorous character in a movie smoking a cigarette or driving a certain type of vehicle. While the pressuring begins when we are but children it continues throughout our life.

All peer pressure felt does not have to have be negative. People can use groups to pressure others to do something positive, such an example of positive peer pressure can be found at this site: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/1999/0505/sweat.html

This example of college students seeing a wrong that needed fixing showcases a positive peer pressure group.