Smoking and peer groups: Results from a longitudinal qualitative study of young people in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that young people are under considerable social pressure to take up smoking. This study has therefore sought to explore and better understand the mechanisms through which peer-related social factors operate to encourage young people to smoke. Individual qualitative interviews were held with adolescent children aged 11-12 years (N = 102) within youth clubs based in economically deprived areas of Northern Ireland, and then followed up on two occasions during the subsequent 3 years (N = 51/39). The data implied that, although peers influence smoking uptake, this seldom happens through direct persuasion, but rather as the result of the young person striving to conform to the normative behaviour of the peer group with which they identify. The findings are consistent with social identity theory and self-categorization theory in that for both smoking and nonsmoking 14-year-olds smoking activity appears to provide a means through which to define social groups, to accentuate similarity within groups and differences between groups. In-group favouritism was expressed in the sharing of cigarettes within the in-group and in the negative stereotyping of out-group members. There was some evidence that group affiliation may be negotiated differently for boys and girls. These findings imply that successful intervention needs to reconsider the normative processes that encourage young people to smoke.

Reliability and validity of the Marijuana Motives Measure among young adult frequent cannabis users and associations with cannabis dependence

“…These items ('So that others won't kid me' and 'Because my friends pressure me to') relate to direct or overt peer pressure (compliance rather than conformity), whereas the three remaining items relate to indirect or normative peer influence or socialization. The relevance of overt peer pressure has been scrutinized for some years (Denscombe, 2001) and studies have found no effects on substance use in adolescence (Reed & Rountree, 1997;Stewart-Knox et al, 2005). Resistance to peer influence in general, and presumably overt peer pressure in particular, increases with age (Steinberg & Monahan, 2007).…”

Why do young adult smokers continue to smoke despite the health risks? A focus group study

“…Focus groups mimic 'natural' peer groups so that the data will likely be authentic, rich and informative. In contrast, one-to-one interviews, although yielding valuable data about individual meanings (Stewart-Knox et al, 2005), can nonetheless invite abstract, de-contextualised themes, which say little about the actual construction and negotiation of smoking in social settings. Focus groups have long been used in social science research, including health psychology (Crossley, 2000;Wilkinson, 2003), and can be particularly useful in identifying both diverse individual accounts and prevailing social factors which influence and constrain actions.…”

A Q-methodological Investigation into the Meanings of Cigarette Consumption

“…friendly ' (p. 1865). The notion of systematic pressure and coercion to smoke cigarettes is becoming increasingly rejected by smokers and smoking researchers, and Stewart-Knox et al (2005) have argued there is little objective evidence of 'pressure' being applied in most cases of smoking initiation.…”