It's true: Adolescents really do want to jump off a bridge just because their friends are doing it. But new research suggests changes in how teenagers view risks and rewards around their peers are not only a critical part of their development, but may also provide a key to motivating them.
From the DARE anti-drug program to abstinence-only curricula, education has been full of high-profile attempts to curtail risky behavior that have met with mixed success at best. The emerging evidence suggests, however, that changing teenagers' behavior demands accounting for their social circles, not just asking them to stand up to their peers.
"In the same way a young child is developing in the context of her family environment, a middle schooler and high schooler is developing in the context of peers," said Kevin M. King, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle, who was not part of the Temple research.
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Source material from Education Week