Here's another paper I recovered from my APTS term papers. I lost most of them when a robber broke into our headquarters in 2016 and got my laptop. :(
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INTRODUCTION
The
culture of Filipinos is very colorful and if an outsider comes in, he or she
will see the vast differences between the old and the young especially in the
urban context. The generation gap indeed exhibits the tension in the culture of
the Filipino generation groups. The sad thing about this is that some of the
positive Filipino values are gradually dying and being rejected by the
contemporary youth. Perhaps this is also evident in most cultures around the
world because of the progressive intensity of globalization over the years[1] .
[2] One
exceedingly growing rust that weakens the values in today’s generation is “Peer
pressure”[3] .
Sure the old people have also experienced peer pressure at a certain degree but
the youth today are experiencing this usually unknown stigma[4]
at a higher gradation. Peer pressure is one of the reasons why the contemporary
youth unknowingly live with the worldly trends and end up directionless[5] .
Reckoning with the
impact of peer pressure on the Filipino youth, I decided to write this paper.
Peer pressure is a significant element at the core of modern youth problems
such as violence (even developing a criminal mind), early pregnancy, wrong
relationships, pre-marital sex, early marriage, addiction, and more[6] .
Some of these can lead to stress, depression, domestic violence, self-harm, and
suicide, depending on the situations. This paper will then explicate[7]
about peer pressure as one of the strongest driving forces that lead the
contemporary Filipino youth astray. Further, this paper aims to find possible
strategies to help the youth in solving the problems that are basically rooted
from peer pressure[8] .
THE
FILIPINO YOUTH
“The youth is the fair hope of the fatherland.” –
Jose Rizal (Philippine National Hero)[9]
Filipinos grew up
believing in this quote by our national hero. I have been seeing this quote in
books, in school walls, and I have also heard it from countless speeches.
Sadly, such hope of Jose Rizal turns to be a joke for most of the ones who came
shortly after my generation.
The positive
Filipino culture from the late 20th century was almost like any
other Asian nation. This was before the global technological and industrial
explosion. But things changed swiftly. Globalization becomes equal to negative
liberation. The Filipino youth or adolescents today, ages seven to twenty four[1],[10]
normally have a high computer literacy and far-fetched internet [11] savviness[2]. This is
evident today as you look at the Filipino youth that has been evolving rapidly
from one half decade to another.
[12] The
authors of the book ‘The
Filipino Youth: A Sociological Study’ said that the youth in the eighties
(1980’s) are “impressionistic, adventurous, and curious and more prone to the
negative influences of their social and physical environments…the current
issues (then) on juvenile delinquency, drug addiction, dissatisfaction, and
protest, over political issues, unemployment, and petty and crimes are expected
to increase in proportion to the number of the youth population…”[3]
[13] This
was written around two decades ago and today’s news and statistics show that
such prediction was true. And true enough, globalization is a primary villain[14] .
Top
Filipino Youth Problems: Immorality and Apathy
Immorality is the number one problem among
the Filipino youth today[15] .
This popular problem causes stigma to the nation as evidenced by the statistics
that show high rate on teenage pregnancy, early marriages, and even poverty as
a consequence for a family with unprepared young parents.
According to the 2014 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality
(YAFS) study, around 14 percent of Filipino girls aged 15 to 19 are either
pregnant for the first time or are already mothers… Data show that pregnant
teenagers in the Philippines are mostly 17 to 19 years old. They live with
their mothers, parents, or relatives. The father of the child is, in most
cases, a teenage boy...Reasons for becoming pregnant among teenagers include:
unplanned sexual encounters (“getting caught up in the moment”) and peer
pressure; lack of information on safe sex; breakdown of family life and
lack of good female role models in the family; and absence of accessible,
adolescent-friendly clinics.[4][16]
Along
with immorality, Apathy[5] is also
ranked as among the top problems within the Filipino youth.[6]
[17] Such
problem is apparently connoting the growing self-centered character of today’s
youth[18] .
The original Filipino values are gradually being forgotten and are being
replaced with the new ideals of the youth. The lack of care about social issues
is seriously eating[19]
such good values. Teenagers and young adults today care more about their own
image and self-gratification. As these things become a trend, most of the youth
are being led astray. To keep up with others, the care for social issues is
being neglected more and more by the young people today.
One simple yet perfect example of prevalent
apathy as a result of peer pressure is happening in schools. "...there was
a considerable peer pressure to be disrespectful and talk back to teachers.. in
order to gain the respect of their peers."[7]
[20] This
is possible even for the Filipino youth who happen to be migrating to other
countries. Sadly, peer pressure problems happen to all Filipino youth whether
in or out of the country.
Peer
Pressure[21] :
One Root of Immorality and Apathy
The sense of being
“cool” is not being a pure holy young person with a great advocacy in helping
the nation and his or her fellowmen. Sadly as a result of Apathy, this seems to
be the new ideal of the youth, not just Filipinos, but also the other young
people in this world. This huge rust[22]
in the society, I would say, is the effect of one tiny act of manipulation
inside the school, on the streets, and within the communities called “peer
pressure”. Most young people do not even notice the effect of peer pressure in
their lives. Some live out a life according to the standards that their peer
group or the people around them set. The thing is, when their friends do it,
they should do it too.
Now most youth are living with the belief
that love is equal to sex and on the other hand, living a material world is the
ultimate goal. With such new ideal, the tension is being built between the good
Filipino values within and the pressure to conform to the new world.[8]
[23] And
now because of the new values driven by peer pressure, many young people engage
[24] to
immorality and at the same time lose their sense of empathy for the society and
the whole nation since they are not able to maintain a decent personal individual
stand[25] .
WHAT EXACTLY IS
PEER PRESSURE
Peer pressure is defined[26]
by Webster as “a feeling that you must do the same things as other people of
your age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them.”[9] Peer
pressure appears to be very common in collective cultures[27] .
Filipinos are very collective as most Asian nations are, in contrast with the
western nations which are generally individualists. Hence, the essence of peer
pressure is rooted from the collective culture of a nation or people groups[28] .
Peer Pressure in
Today’s Youth
Today’s teens and
generally adolescents “want to feel like they belong, want to avoid the pain of
being left out, and walk the fine line between conviction and compromise…”[10]
Peer pressure in today’s youth is very rampant and getting more and more
dangerous. “Many of the ‘bad’ behaviors before are not seen as ‘bad’ anymore…”[11]
This is why it is very easy for the young people today to surrender virginity
so easy just to be in. Many times, peer pressure becomes so “high context” that
it is “felt not as a verbal invitation and temptations but as unspoken
invitations”[12].
Peer pressure comes automatic[29]
at times then. Among the pressures that the youth face are: having a perfect
body, to be dressed and groomed properly, to be socially active, to drink and
use drugs and to have premarital sex [13].[30]
Because of the tendencies to fall into these, the youth are in danger of
getting trapped into moral dilemmas, of buying lies, of destroying self-image,
and of strain in parent-teen relationship.[14]
Peer Pressure: A Health Parasite
Peer pressure,
being a root of immorality and apathy, is one of the main influential factors
“affecting an adolescent’s behavior with regards to handling one’s adolescent
reproductive health”[15]. This
means that as peer pressure [31] gives
way to premarital sex, drugs and others, the youth become too vulnerable to
serious health problems. Such health problems [32] become
a gateway to depression, anger, self-hatred, and generally the loss of hope
because of too much consequences from the wrong choices made. All the more,
other immeasurable problems are also emerging from these such as imbalances and
disturbance in emotions and spirit.
Peer
Pressure at Different Degrees
“Peer
pressure pays no attention to age… it reaches its greatest intensity during the
adolescent years…”[16]
Apparently, peer pressure happens outside every home. Meaning, a child normally
has the freedom to be himself or herself inside the house, if the parents and
siblings at least are refraining from rejecting him or her. When the young one
goes out of the house, peer pressure starts. He or she aims to be accepted and
not to be mocked by others.[17] [33] Young
people go out of their way to identify with the others[34]
in the school, street, and even media. Media gives a strong influence in the
lives of young people in this internet age.
Advertisements in the television dictate how they should look, what
jeans or shoes to wear, how to view sex and so forth. In the Philippines
however, advertisements are yet wholesome and the Filipino values are still
being integrated most of the time. Nonetheless, young Filipinos are more into
the internet and not the television programs anymore[35] .
Hence, there is greater exposure to more adult contents and the worldly
standards in the internet seem to control them.
When peer pressure
becomes uncontrollable at hand, premarital sex becomes okay, discontentment
with material things becomes intense, popularity becomes a norm, competition
becomes a great influence in the mindset, and so forth. In other words, when these things become more
and more familiar, they become more acceptable and not bad anymore. The
possibility of setting a great distress [36] will
be in the end, leading a young person to end his or her life because of the
unbearable consequences.
RECENT PEER PRESSURE CASES IN THE PHILIPPINES
We
are living in an internet age with the “I want it now” [37] generation.
The youth is having an explosive modification of character that is quickly
outmoding the Filipino values.[38]
Most Filipino youth, like any other youth in the world, tend to get less
patience while hardly getting satisfied with a lot of things and desires.
Because of a higher degree of expectations and satisfaction needs, the youth
tend to get more frustrations and depression[39] .
Sadly, some do not have the faculty to bear the crises.
Suicide
Among Filipinos,
suicide has gone up in the last 21 years with the majority of cases involving
young people 24 years old and below…”[18], “…there is an increasing trend of suicide
among the youth, particularly in the age group of five to 14, and 15 to 24.”[19]
[40]
The figures in the Philippines
are lower than the annual global age-standardized suicide rate of 11.4 per
100,000 population (15.0 for males and 8.0 for females). The Philippines also
has the lowest suicide rate among ASEAN-member countries. However, it is
important to consider that suicides are likely to be underreported.[20]
One young Filipino
actress, Julia Buencamino, died at the age of fifteen by hanging herself in
their house's bathroom just early this year. This has apparently shocked a lot
of people since she reportedly did not show any signs of suicidal thinking.
Nonetheless, her artworks and a blog post in her tumblr account that were
discovered a few days after the incident happened showed some signs of
depression. She noted in her blog that she does not want to unveil her reasons,
that she wanted such reasons to just die with her. Until now, it is still a
mystery. However, her pictures, writings, and artworks, basically show how she
lived her young adolescence life. She had many gothic inclinations (themed in
her costumes, makeups, and artworks) along with the blog that says that she [41] made
out with a girl. These somehow show how fragile she was with the worldly
environment that was responsible in influencing her.[21]
Depression
According to
statistics, there are 4.5 million depressed Filipinos, which is the highest in
Southeast Asia.[22]
Depression in the Philippines can be rooted from a lot causes and one of them
is peer pressure.
A sad story is
found in the tragic depression and suicide case of Natasha Goldbourn, who was
the daughter of a Filipino fashion icon Jean Goldbourn. Natasha leaped to death
from a building in Hongkong in 2002. She was a gorgeous lady but then being
beautiful was never ending for her. Improving the physical appearance was
endless even though she was already beautiful. This was due to the demands of
the environment she was in prior to the suicide. From that time on, her mother,
Jean, suffered from serious depression but upon going back to her senses, she
has decided to use such painful tragedy to help other people. Now she is busy
with the Natasha Goulborn Foundation that help people get through depression[42] .
Suicide is more
likely to be the result of depression once not addressed properly at the onset.
"In the case of Julia, she was probably expressing her depression through
the morbid artwork she was posting on Instagram many months prior to the
suicide."[23]
In the case of Natasha, Jean said that it is important that you show more love
to your son or daughter and make sure that you give importance to their dreams,
share dreams with them.
Gabriel
Valenciano, son of a famous Filipino music icon Gary Valenciano, went through
depression in four years. But recently you will see how he got out of the sea
of depression, as evidenced by his tweets a few days ago:
(1) Our generation has the capacity to be the
greatest the world has ever seen. Sadly, most of us exude mediocrity and choose
the easy way out...(2) The world exists to bring you down. You exist to lift it
up. Be the light the world so desperately needs by being the one and only
you...(3) Happiness is nothing but a mindset. If you choose it, you’ll have it.
Never let your surroundings dictate who you really are. Be, you.[24]
[43] He
was once sick about the world he was living. He did not like to be called a
celebrity. Gab posted his sentiments in facebook and his words clearly show how
frustrated and depressed he is towards the pressure in his world:
A system that sincerely
believes that being light-skinned is a privilege. That talent is nothing but a
bonus accessory. That looking good is a much greater necessity than actually
being good. That hard work doesn't get you anywhere, it's who you know and how
far you're willing to go to live the dream. That the destination is much more
relevant than the journey. That your self-worth is based on the number of
followers you have. That your every asset is fixated on branding and
advertising. That being amazing gets you hits, but doesn't provide you with a
life you deserve. That it is okay for corporations to believe in a quantity
over quality business model over excellence. That desiring to actually love
what you do comes with a hefty price tag.[25]
Gab
has won over the battle of depression. His case is still considered normal and
it is the desire of every parent that their kids can overcome such battle in
their life. Gab’s parents are both Christians, and it helped him at some point
in his life that his parents were of good counsel.
Other Cases of Peer Pressure
The
Philippine Daily Inquirer published an article quoting some of the interesting
peer pressure moments of certain young people.[26]
The shared peer pressure moments extend from one area to another such as being
prohibited by parents to attend a farewell party when other friends are going,
having a class of cheaters who share answers during quizzes so she also needed
to do the same, having classmates who wear a certain hair style and she is not,
having friends who encouraged him to abuse substances like alcohol in parties
(at seventeen), having friends who promote the need of having a boy-or
girlfriend, having peers who pressure him to smoke, drink, and have sex, and so
forth. As a result of these, the young Filipino people are often trapped in
their directionless spots after committing the biggest mistakes in their lives.
This happens when there is not enough concern going on in the home, the school,
and the government[44] .
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUES ON PEER PRESSURE
Filipinos are naturally
fanatics and trend-followers. For the youth, you can hardly see a group that is
composed of very unique individuals. Most of the people in each of the groups
have a lot of things in common as trends and fanatic stuffs[45]
are easily absorbed and brought contagious. If one wears this brand, style and
color, the others will normally do the same. If one has a crush on one artist
or actor, then the others will follow the same celebrity. If one engages [46] to
sex and talks about it in the group, then the rest should have something to
share otherwise, it will be a shame. Peer pressure is indeed a serious factor
that is misleading the youth. The problem is, how are we going to address this
in the Filipino context?
Role of
the Family
One of the most
important values that Filipinos have is the strong family bond. Old-fashioned
kids remain respectful, obedient, and dependent on parents while modern kids
usually hate it when parents get in their way. It usually does not matter
whether in rural or urban areas although urban kids[47]
are more prone to being independent and more exposed to temptations.[27]
[48] “The
Young people are more exposed to urban temptations- to live-in parties, the barkada (gang), and the drug pushers;
hence some parents’ attempts to restrict their sons’ and daughters’ exposure.
In the rural atmosphere where everybody knows everybody else and the urban
risks have not yet penetrated, parents can afford to be more permissive.”[28]
It still depends though on the culture of the community. Some open spaces[49]
are said to be conducive for liberal attitude too.[29]
Unlike some youth in the world (especially
the Westerners), young Filipinos can still stay with parents as long as they want
even if they are more than eighteen years of age already. Filipino parents
usually like it when their kids stay with them even when they are working
already or even when married and until they get old. This setup[50]
has a lot of advantages and disadvantages to consider.
Filipino youth or
generally all youth come to a certain point in life that they spend more time
with peers than the parents. However, “while it is natural for parents and
teens to spend less time together as the kids pass through adolescence, it is
dangerous to assume that it is all right to avoid making time to spend as a
family.”[30]
[51] No
matter how the Filipino culture is being corrupted with other cultures now,
family still seems to be of great value. Hence, peer pressure can easily be
addressed inside a Filipino home if only each family member, especially the
parents, will cooperate. Mueller suggested a lot of things to make this
possible. Among the strong strategies he suggested are: [“to become a ‘peer’ to
your child”, “to open up your home to your children’s friends”, “get them
involved in a positive peer group”, “work with other parents to establish
‘parental agreements’”, “actively help your children build a God-centered
self-image”, and so forth.][31][52]
Each kid[53]
needs a “safe place”. This is especially true with kids who are bullied at
school because they are likely to be different from others.[54]
“Today, the cluster is a family with a set of respected and controlled
expectations, loyalties, and values.”[32]
It is therefore important that each kid has a family to run to. Each home
should be a training quarters and a refuge at the same time[55] .
Role of
the Peers
“Peer relationships
have been seen as a normal part of the adolescent process.”[33]
Even so, peer pressure is not always bad. There is positive peer pressure too[56] .
The goal of the parents for the kids then is to find a good peer group and stay
with it. The youth should also be guided to be responsible for this task as
well. It is not that easy to dictate to them whom to go with and whom to be
friends with. Choices and freedom are great issues for youth. Many times, they
buy into reverse psychology too[57]
so whatever you tell them, they do the opposite. It will be hard to manage but
it is possible.
Since peer pressure is
more about “conformity issues”, a young adolescent should be exposed to an
environment where he or she will appreciate the need to have a good peer group
with which to conform. Conformity should not have the negative connotation
here.[34]
[58]
Each young adolescent should be aware and
understand the different stages of friendship attitude that they went through,
going through, and will be going through.
An in-depth study of adolescent friendships found that
friendships have at least three stages and that the motivations for friendships
vary for each stage… Stage one, for eleven-thirteen year-olds, friendship
center on activity rather than on friendship through personal relations.
Friends are people with whom things can be done, but there is not an emphasis
on depth or relating. In stage two, age fourteen-sixteen, the stress and
motivation for friends are on security. A friend at this stage should be loyal
and trustworthy, someone who will not betray the friendship. Adolescents of
this age need someone who is going through the same problems at the same time.
They become friends also to provide emotional support and confidence. In stage
three, seventeen years and older, the emphasis is on personality and mutual
interests. Appreciation for individual differences is greater and the
friendships are now relaxed with less stress.[35]
It helps a lot if they see where they are,
why they see friendship the way they do, why they have the friends they have
now, and why there were changes in the depth of friendship as time goes by. As
they get more aware of where they are going to, they can start a more positive
plan especially about deciding whom to make friends with. This will not be so
easy because it may need the full cooperation of the family[59]
and the government. It is not possible to be learned overnight but possible
over time.
Role of
the Church
Gary Collins asserts
the effectiveness of ‘group helping’ many years ago, and psychologists support
this fact. When the body of Christ then become united in doing the ministry of
people helping, then the youth will be empowered and more guided. He said that
the role of the church in people helping is possible in many areas such as
worship, fellowship and service.[36][60]
It is the pastor’s task
and also the council’s responsibility to oversee the spiritual health of the
youth in the church. This can be done by consistently assessing their emotional
and psychological health. Youth programs and activities in the church should be
effective in making them grow and snatching their interest as much as possible.
In this, the church has a lot of opportunities in the faith shaping among the
youth. Stephen Jones gave a pattern in this task of acquiring one’s own faith
especially in the context of the youth.[37]
The process described by Jones is made up of the following: Affiliating[38],
Personalizing[39],
Integrating[40],
Faith Shaping[41],
Faith Shaping Tasks[42],
Experiencing[43],
Categorizing[44],
Choosing[45],
Claiming[46],
Deepening[47],
Separating[48],
Responding[49],
and Readiness[50].
With these elements in the process of faith shaping, the youth are expected to
develop their minds, talents, bodies, and feelings at the fullest.[51][61]
The church should have
a holistic machinery[62]
in helping the youth who are prone to social troubles like peer pressure. This
can be done by not just directly ministering to the youth but also to the
parents and adults in the community too. The young people should find security
and refuge from a Godly family when they go home. And the older ones in the
community should also be available whenever the young ones need help and while
the parents are not around[63] .
Role of
the Pastoral Counselor
Not all youth who are troubled either by peer
pressure or any other major problems will come to the Pastoral Counselor to
seek help. Yet, it will help a lot if the Pastoral counselor lets them know
that he[64]
is quite available to help and talk about their problems in private while
giving his schedules and how they can reach him or her.
Walter Conn suggested
that to attain spiritual direction among youth and generally for all people,
there should be self-transcendence.[52]
This is done by breaking the bondage of egocentrism in the context of kids[53],
searching for independent meaning, values and faith in the context of
adolescents[54],
and then guiding the young adults in their struggle in desiring intimacy
mutuality and commitment[55]. The
pastoral counselor should be able to guide the youth in getting rid of oneself.
As a pastoral
counselor, it is important to keep the concerns of teenagers confidential. Most
of their identity crisis at this life stage is crucial and if the counselor
makes a mistake of spilling the beans,[65]
then the result in the life of the young client might be staggering. This of
course is the thing to do otherwise the young client is into self-harming or
having suicidal signs. The counselor should keep in mind that any threat of
suicide ought to be taken seriously and that he or she (the counselor) did not
cause the client’s problem and may not be able to fix them[66] .
Therefore it is important to seek help from the police, paramedics, or a mental
health team.[56]
The pastoral counselor may not
just limit the task in troubleshooting but also take part in the prevention of
problems among teenagers and young adults. This can be possible through proper
education in the church, building spiritual formation, helping parents by
giving good family example and promoting stability, providing interpersonal
support, and guidance either to the young people or the parents.[57][67]
Problems rooted from peer pressure are unique
and there is no particular standard or single way to help someone through one.[58]
The role of the counselor is to help the client tell his or her stories, be
sensitive with blind spots and suggest new perspectives, proposing new
scenarios and giving possible choices and commitments. [59]
Ultimately, the counselor should lead the client to a closer and more intimate
relationship with God. This will be evidenced by these: confession and
forgiveness, prayer, and Scripture.[60]
BIBLICAL
PERSPECTIVE ON PEER PRESSURE
Jesus defied peer pressure Himself. He went
down from the heavens and faced the different pressures of this world. Starting
off with satan who tempted Him when He was fasting for forty days and forty
nights.[61]
The Jewish leaders were also popping everywhere to pressure him with all the
knowledge they have got in the world.[62]
One account with Peter was also about peer pressure where this faithful
disciple tried to pressure Jesus too of his own ideals and impulse.[63]
These show that peer pressure is anywhere brought by the enemy, the people who
are not related to you, and the people who are close to you. Aside from Jesus,
there are many other Bible characters who have surpassed negative peer
pressure. They basically lived out the life that James was talking about:
fleeing from temptations.[64] Romans
12:2 warns every Christian, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able
to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” 1
Peter 2:11 says that we are aliens and strangers in this world. If somebody
mocks at you about who you are as a believer, hold on to what the Apostle Paul
said in Romans 12:14-16; “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not
curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in
harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with
people of low position. Do not be conceited.” 1 Peter 1:13-21 reminds us that
we are to prepare our minds and be ready to be controlled by the Spirit and not
by the world. Conformity with the world is not our agenda. Instead, Romans
8:29-30 says that we are being conformed to the likeness of Christ[68] .
To avoid peer pressure, it is important to
have a renewed mind.[65] For a
young adult or teenager to do this, it will be hard to remain in the place
where peer pressure is so strong. If there is no choice to escape, it will be
helpful to have Christian friends, a church, and a pastor to give emotional,
psychological, social, and spiritual support[69] .
The goal is to have a closer and more
intimate relationship with God, desiring to love Him as evidenced by a whole
hearted obedience to Him.[66] Peter
once said in Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.[70] ”
CONCLUSION
It seems impossible to
change the world or even defy the black vapor of globalization that is
diffusing a poisonous stigma in the society. The youth are the primary inhalers
of such deadly smoke. Nonetheless, there is always hope.
Peer pressure is
rampant but if every family, every church, and every community will become
aware of how to seal up the exit holes of the deadly vapor, then changes can
happen gradually. The Filipino youth can still be the fair hope of the
fatherland[71]
although I would assume it will not happen within the next ten years. To
restore a lost generation, it may take a few more decades later. The thing is,
it is always possible at least little by little. With just a significant leap
at the start, the strong positive values of the Filipino culture can be
restored, at least the Godly values.
For the Filipino youth
who are suffering from depression, there is still hope if the church will
become more proactive in eyeing and assessing the health of every youth in and
out of the church. There must be more effective programs for the families,
especially for the parents, to keep the relationship in each home stronger.
Nothing can destroy a home if Christ is at its center. The church leaders and
even members, including the pastoral counselors and the council should work
together more aggressively to break the tension between the pressure of the
world and the kingdom of God among the young people.
Christian counselors
should keep updated with the trends today not for the sake of promoting them
but to understand the mindset of the youth. Knowing what is going on within and
without, the counselors will be able to strategize on setting the ‘sealant’ on.
It is important to understand that problems set by peer pressure vary from one
type to another. Each problem is different. Vast sets of strategies are
therefore needed.
It will be very
exhausting to observe the youth today and more grueling to get in there and
deal with their troubles. Therefore, it is also important that each counselor
learns how to care for himself or herself. Peer pressure itself from the
clients can create a deadly rebound in any counselor’s heart.
Primary
Plan for the Church I am Serving
Here in Bicol
(middlemost region of the Philippines), where the church is residing at the
heart of the city, peer pressure is definitely obvious. We are located in the
university belt of the city and the main ministry of the church is reaching out
for the students. The challenge here is to teach them not to conform to the
norms of the world no matter what. Among the outer layer of peer pressure
disease in this area of the Philippines are: drug abuse, early pregnancy,
addiction to fame, apathy to Filipino culture (idolizing other foreign culture at
an alarming gradation, such as obsession to KPOP[67]
culture), and obsession [72] to
social media. There are also some cases of depression and suicide too. The best
thing I can think of now is to start with the existing youth in our church. It
will make a great impact if they become more aware of their status in the
society and the alarming future if they do not take action first with
themselves. Making them as the primary recipients of impact will establish a
strong core group to help the others later on. The goal is to make them an
effective positive peer group for others. It will all be impossible without the
help of our Father, the creator of all. We pray, in Jesus name, positive
changes will happen.
BIBLIOGRAPHY[73]
Anisef, Paul and
Kilbride, Kenise. Managing Two Worlds: The Experiences and Concerns of Immigrant Youth in Ontario. Canadian
Scholars’ Press: 2003.
Berkeley, James. Called into Crisis. [74] USA:
Word Books, 1989.
Cabigon, Josefina V. Philippine
Social Sciences Review. “Understanding Filipino Adolescents: Research Gaps and Challenges”. vol. 56
nos.1-4, Jan-Dec 1999.
Clark, Chap. Hurt
2.0. MI:Baker Publishing, 2004.
Collins, Gary
Collins. How to be a People Helper. IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1995.
_________________. Christian
Counseling: A Comprehensive Guide. USA: Library Congress, 1988.
Conn, Walter. The
Desiring Self: Rooting Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Direction in Self- Transcendence. Collegeville, MN:
Liturgical Press, 1993.
Dayringer, Richard. The
Heart of Pastoral Counseling. USA: Haworth Press Inc., 1984.
Gomez, Fausto, et.al.
The
Filipino Youth: A Sociological Study. Manila: Social Research. Center, 1986.
Jensen, Larry Cyril. Adolescence:
Theories, Research, Application. NY: West Publishing Co., 1985.
Jones, Stephen Jones.
Faith
Shaping: Nurturing the Faith Journey of the Youth. PA: Judson Press, 1980.
Mueller, Walt. Understanding
Today’s Youth Culture. USA: Library Congress, 1994.
Policarpio, Paz and
Landa, Jocano. The Filipino Adolescent in Rural and an Urban Setting. Manila: Centro Escolar University
Research and Development Center, 1979.
Online Sources
http://www.forward.ph/blog/the-state-of-philippine-internet-usage-2013-infographic
http://opinion.inquirer.net/74517/teenage-pregnancy-among-todays-filipino-youth
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/community/view/20101101-300873/Apathy-is-top-problem-of-the-youth
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/peer%20pressure
http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2015/07/14/1476549/what-drives-young-commit-suicide
http://www.mb.com.ph/suicide-is-second-leading-cause-of-death-among-youth-who
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/524070/lifestyle/healthandwellness/special-report-suicide-and-the-pinoy-youth
http://www.philstar.com/funfare/photos/2015/07/14/1476549/what-drives-young-commit-suicide?page=2
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/2bu/2bu/view/20100529-272642/Students-bare-their--peer-pressure-moments
www.twitter.com
www.facebook.com
A great
range of references Lani. Generally this
is a very good piece of work but there were several occasions when you really
needed to avoid making very generalized and black and white statements and also
many times when you needed to back up these statements with reference to
literature or internet sources which are quite acceptable for a topic like this
where there is unlikely to be much recent in the APTS library for this topic.
There was
a logical order, good ideas presented and often good supporting literature.
I enjoyed
reading it and wish you well.
Mark: 27/30 Grade= A-
[1] “In the Philippines, for the Ministry
of Social Services and Development, youth comprises the persons between ages 7
and 24 inclusive; on the other hand, the cut off point for youth labor is now
15 years of age. Nevertheless, currently the age range 15-24 is considered by
most countries, and the United Nations, as the official chronological
definition of youth.” Excerpts from Fausto Gomez, et.al, The Filipino Youth: A Sociological Study (Manila: Social Research
Center, 1986), p11-12.
[2] 33.6 Million Filipinos are active
internet users and 40% of this population are those between 15 and 24 years of
age. Statistics from (viewed on September 8, 2015).
[3] Fausto Gomez, et.al, p 28.
[4] (viewed September 8, 2015).
[5] According to the article from global
nation, Apathy here refers more on the lack of care about social
issues of the Filipino youth.
[6] (viewed on September 10, 2015).
[7] Paul Anisef, Kenise Murphy Kilbride.
Managing Two Worlds: The Experiences and Concerns of Immigrant Youth in Ontario
(Canadian Scholars’ Press: 2003), p222.
[8] Moral dilemmas and other serious results because of
peer pressure are explained in the book by Walt Mueller, Understanding Today’s
Youth Culture (USA: Library Congress, 1994).
[9] (viewed on August 31, 2015).
[11] Mueller, 187.
[12] Mueller, 187.
[13] Mueller, 190- 196.
[14] Mueller, 196-200.
[15] Josefina V. Cabigon, Philippine
Social Sciences Review, Understanding
Filipino Adolescents: Research Gaps and Challenges. vol. 56 nos.1-4,
jan-dec 1999. P122.
[16] Mueller, 182-183.
[17] Randy Dellosa, a popular Filipino
psychologist, affirms this when he commented on the recent suicide issues on
youth, triggered by the suicide news about some young TV personalities. (viewed on September 11, 2015).
[18] Suicide is second leading cause of death
among youth – WHO, (viewed on September 14, 2015),
According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the second cause of
death among young people ages 15 to 29.
[19] Suicide is second leading cause of death
among youth – WHO, Said by Dr. Rhea Concepcion, a child and adolescence psychiatrist.
[20] Excerpts from a report from GMA
network. (viewed on September 14, 2015).
[21] Julia Buencamino is a young actress
who was slowly rising recently before she died. She starred in the noontime
program “Oh My G”, which as an inspirational show that teaches about God’s
guidance to people in this internet age. Her Instagram account shows some of
her pictures and artworks. You can view her Instagram account at (viewed on September 14, 2015). Her
twitter account on the other hand is , nothing very suspicious here though.
[22] (viewed on September 14, 2015).
[23] (viewed on September 14, 2015).
[24]
Gab’s Twitter account is @gabvalenciano. These three tweets were posted on
September 5, 6, and 8 respectively.
[25] Excerpts from Gabriel Valenciano’s facebook account, (viewed on September 15, 2015).
[26]
(viewed on September 14, 2015).
[27]
A research study conducted about The Filipino Adolescent in Rural and an
Urban Setting (Manila: Centro
Escolar University Research and Development Center, 1979) by Paz Policarpio and
F. Landa Jocano talked about the two samples that they used to represent the
urban and rural settings. They said that the relationship and attitude of
parents and kids are driven strongly by the ecological standpoint of the
parents.
[28]
Policarpio and Jocano, p.46.
[29]
Policarpio and Jocano, p.46-47.
[30] Mueller, 184.
[31] Mueller 200-208.
[32] Chap Clark, Hurt 2.0 (MI: Baker Publishing,
2004), p.61.
[34] Larry Cyril Jensen. Adolescence:
Theories, Research, Application (NY:
West Publishing Co., 1985), P107-109.
Conformity is explained by Jensen in many forms such as anticonformity, other-conformity,
and independence. A young adolescent should be trained to see the necessity of
these in his or her life, creating a balance for a healthy psychological,
emotional, social, and spiritual life.
[35] Jensen, p.111. These is his answer to the question “Do
Findings regarding the peer group apply to friendships?”
[36] Gary Collins. How to be a People Helper
(IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1995), p164-173.
[37] Stephen Jones. Faith Shaping:
Nurturing the Faith Journey of the Youth (PA: Judson Press, 1980), p.43.
[38] “Affiliating: a child’s attempt to
identify and stand within the values and faith of the important persons in his
or her life.” Jones, p.43.
[39] “Personalizing: A young person’s
attempt to claim ownership of his or her own faith, in relation to the faith
that has surrounded him or her in the formative years.” Jones, p.43.
[40] “Integrating: an adult’s attempt to
build the faith she or he has recently personalized upon the faith inherited as
a child” Jones, p.43.
[41] “Faith Shaping: refers particularly
to a process during adolescence and young adulthood when most persons actively
give shape and substance to their own personal faith; the process of
determining one’s own faith.” Jones, p.43.
[42] “Faith-shaping tasks: a sequence of
tasks through which young persons work as they acquire a personal faith.”
Jones, p.43.
[43] “Experiencing: spiritual emotions,
religious feelings, sacred experiences.” Jones, p.44.
[44] “Categorizing: sorting out and
consolidating one’s religious experiences; making sense of the experiences in
understandable terms.” Jones, p.44.
[45] “Choosing: deciding what is true and
important.” Jones, p.44.
[46] “Claiming: the act of commitment;
conversion; giving; one’s life to something.” Jones, p.44.
[47] “Deepening: the act of maturing in
one’s faith commitments.” Jones, p.44.
[48] “Separating: pulling away from earlier
convictions and decisions; giving oneself space for reflection and
consolidation; rebellion.” Jones, p.44.
[49] “Responding: gaining a sense of one’s
life calling; discovering your own giftedness.” Jones, p.44.
[50] “Readiness: the next level of growth
or maturity to which a person is receptive.” Jones, p.44.
[51] Jones, p.71.
[52] Walter Conn. The Desiring Self: Rooting
Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Direction in Self-Transcendence (Collegeville,
MN: Liturgical Press, 1993).
[53] Conn, “The Child: Trust-breaking the
bonds of egocentrism”. He said that the child should be guided from being egocentric
to being objective. pp82-94.
[54] Conn established the process of
understanding and troubleshooting the thinking of an adolescent by helping him
or her finding his or her identity. This is possible by developing the
interpersonal and institutional self. pp95-103.
[55] Conn emphasized the importance of looking closer at the
interindividual self (Postconvetional morality and faith) of the young adult.
The young adult should know the distinction between in intimacy and fusion so
as to establish a better understanding and control.
[56] James Berkeley. Called into Crisis (USA: Word Books,
1989). P178.
[57] Gary Collins. Christian Counseling: A
Comprehensive Guide (USA: Library Congress, 1988), “Developmental
Issues”, p.149-182). Collins suggested ways to do the counselling to people in
different life stages, more importantly on the part that talks about
Adolescence and Young Adulthood.
[59] Berkeley, p..30-35
[60] Richard Dayringer, The
Heart of Pastoral Counseling (USA: Haworth Press Inc., 1984), Chapter
10,P.105-121.
[61] Matthew 4:1–10
[62] Matthew 16:1
[63] Matthew 16:23
[65] Romans 12:12.
[66]
John 15.
[67] Korean Pop.
