Barbara J. Costello and Trina L. Hope: Peer Pressure, Peer Prevention: The Role of Friends in Crime and Conformity.

Excerpt

In Peer Pressure, Peer Prevention: The Role of Friends in Crime and Conformity, Barbara J. Costello and Trina L. Hope examined two major issues. The first is that, although plenty of data supports the notion that adolescents are influenced by their peers, there is exceedingly little research identifying what exactly causes adolescents to mimic their behavior. In other words, why does certain behavior spread across a peer group? The second major issue addressed by the authors is that, although the link between peers and deviance is firmly established, whether the peer influence phenomenon extends to positive influence has never been sufficiently addressed. To seek answers to these queries, Costello and Hope obtained both quantitative and qualitative data, in the form of questionnaires and essays, from their students at the University of Rhode Island and University of Oklahoma. Costello and Hope begin by offering an overview of the research and theory that already exists with respect to peer influence. The authors subsequently revealed the results found in their data, wherein they discovered important information from individuals of various demographics who hold a range of attitudes about peer influence, their own behavior, and positive peer pressure. …