Cause-And-Effect Essay

The Bright Side of Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is the power of influence peers, friends, acquaintances, or enemies have over one another, that leads the influenced into behaving a certain way. This may be intentional by the influencer, or the influencer may not realize what he or she is doing. Peer pressure may negatively lead people into bad behaviors or thoughts, like a teenager who hates smoking would pick up a cigarette because he feels pressured when all his friends around him are doing so. However, it is greatly overlooked when peer pressure betters a persons' life. Take the story of Nadine for an example…

Danya Abu Hussein, Period IIApril 13th, 2013 - Saturday

Nadine had a rough childhood all her life. However, "rough" became much worse when her mother passed away when Nadine was only 14 years old. Her father began drinking a week after, and she had grown familiar with the tone, the smell, and the walk that accompanied him whichever night he came home drunk. More than five times a week, Nadine would be prepared to grab her two younger siblings and lock her bedrooms' door. She loved her two younger siblings, whom were only nine and twelve years old then, and was willing to take them under her care when their lives went downhill.

Four years later, Nadine's life continued down the same road. She was a senior by then, and although school begun two weeks before, she was yet to attend.

Danya Abu Hussein, Period IIApril 13th, 2013 - Saturday

School meant nothing to her; whenever she did attend, it was no more than once a week. She saw no point of it and either way, she believed she can't have a future because her siblings need her around, not in some college states away. Until the one day she chose to attend school and ended up befriending her classes' star valedictorian girl. She felt overwhelmed by her, but the girl continued to encourage Nadine.

Slowly, Nadine's attendance increased and she started to care enough about her future, vastly improving her grades. When November arrived, she had become a top student applying to three universities, all near her siblings. Come June, Nadine had graduated with honors and was going to attend her top choice university. Nadine, now, is continuously

Danya Abu Hussein, Period IIApril 13th, 2013 - Saturday

encouraging her siblings to do the best they can in school, and she is still grateful for her best friend, the valedictorian.

You see, peer pressure does have a bright side. Nadine felt pressured and encouraged by her new friend, and so she began viewing school in a different, more important, light, changing her life forever. In conclusion, peer pressure has an equal tendency to evict positive effects, although it is not always noticeable.

Danya Abu Hussein, Period IIApril 13th, 2013 - Saturday