The Veiled Curriculum and the Capability of Youth to Resist Negative Peer Pressure

Abstract

Most parents/guardians hope their children would be faced with only positive peer pressure, but many young people grapple with negative peer pressure-that seemingly overwhelming push to conform to harmful behaviors like drug abuse. This article reports research findings from a research conducted on the role played by accidental messages arising from social interactions in learning contexts on young people's choices to follow their peers or not to imitate them. The target population of the investigation included 1246 young people from higher learning institutions in Nairobi city county. The researcher employed Taro Yamennes' sample size calculation formula in determining the sample size. The researcher used a self-made questionnaire with 64 items with a consistency coefficient of 0.83 and an interview guide with 14 items to gather data. The study results showed that inadvertent messages arising from peer interrelationships shape youths' ways of thinking, decision making, and their behavior.