International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2013): 6.14 | Impact Factor (2014): 5.611 Volume 5 Issue 2, February 2016 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Adolescents‟ Aggression in Relation to Peer Pressure and Family Relationship Rajesh Kumar 1 , Beenu Varma 2 1 Assistant Professor, Dept of Psychology, Post Graduate Government College, Sec-46, Chandigarh 2 Research Scholar, Department of Psychology, Panjab University, Chandigarh Abstract: Adolescent is the stage between childhood and adulthood. It is the time when adolescent move from dependency on their parents to independency and maturity. This stage brings so many changes. Family relationship plays an important role in this stage. Aggression also develops which sometimes generates from peer pressure. The aim of the present investigation is to study the adolescent aggression in relation to peer pressure and family environment. Sample of the study consisted of 210 adolescents (107 Male and 103 Female), ranging in the age of 13-19 years and were randomly selected from different schools of Chandigarh. The sample responded to Manifestation of Aggression (R. A. Singh, 1986) which consists of 50 items, Peer Pressure (Singh & Saini, 2010) which consists of 25 items and Family Relationship inventory by Sherry & Sinha, (1987) which consists of 150 items. To find out the results descriptive statistics, t- test and correlation matrix were calculated and it was found that there is non significant difference between boys and girls on aggression, family affection and family care and the values comes out to be 0.378, 0.613 and 0.47 respectively. It was also revealed that there is significant difference between boys and girls on peer pressure and family behaviour and p value found to be 0.003 and 0.020 respectively. It was also revealed that there is significant association between aggression and family care and between peer pressure and family behaviour. Keywords: Adolescent, Family relationship, Peer pressure, Care. 1. Introduction Adolescents is the stage of identity formation where one continue the journey of self discovering, they continually have to adjust to new experiences which is both stressful and anxiety provoking. Changes includes the efforts to understand one‟s self, changes occur in the social contexts of adolescents lives and their relation with parents and peers. In the late adolescents period there occurs so many psychological changes in which there is pressure from parents as well as from peers. It is a period of active growth and development. Some adolescents can cope up easily with all these changes but some fail adopt these changes and leads towards the aggression, violence, maladjustment etc. Aggressive behaviour is one of the most frequently reported problems of adolescents. Aggression is generally defined as a behavioral act that results in harming and hurting others. There are different types of aggression depending on the intentions of the person who is aggressive and the situations that stimulates the aggressive response. Aggression may be proactive or reactive; overt or covert; or physical, verbal or relational (Werner & Crick, 2004). Aggression is a behaviour that can be directed toward others or internally and which can be either constructive or destructive. Adolescents uses verbal aggression also which includes bullying, threats or yelling. The children who were irritable, had strong negative emotional reactions, who lacked persistence were over reactive and difficult to soothe turned out to be more aggressive at the later stage. Family environment is the most important factor for psychosocial adjustment. If adolescents found supportive and healthy family they may no longer hope for strong peer group. If they are being accepted by their family members they feel confident. It is observed that the peer pressure plays an important role in the manifestation of aggression. Peer pressure is the “influences and pressures adolescents feel from their peers” (Adriaansz, 2002). Adolescents inevitably watch towards their peers for their approval, support and acceptance. Peer pressure ranges from positive effects to negative effects. Pung et al (2015) found that there were significant positive relationship between peer pressure and aggression among adolescents. Researchers found that peer pressure is the effective predictor in explaining adolescents‟ aggression level (Yavuzer et al, 2014). The problems like road rage, drinking, smoking, drug addiction, violence and fights due to excessive aggression are also the outcome of peer pressure. It becomes the psychological need of an adolescent to be accepted and appreciated as a part of that group and that need is accompanied by peer pressure. Many a times the adolescents are so affected by peers that they start behaving like them unknowingly. Peers may influence each other to engage in antisocial behaviour (Keenan, Loeber, & Zhang, 1995). The function and importance of peer group plays a crucial role during adolescents (Harris, 2000; Espelage, 2010). Peer becomes very important in adolescents period because peer is a socializing agent with the world outside home. Studies found out that aggressive adolescents at school recognition, they want to become leader, powerful, socially accepted and different. It is observed by researchers that family conflict, physical punishment and harsh parenting have significant impact on children‟s mind and the young adolescents who are aversive to such harsh treatment become aggressive by nature (Alink, Mesman, Zeiji, Stolk, Juffer, Bakermans- Kraneburg, & Ijzendroom, 2009). The role of parents, and peer group are important determinants of modelling. People who are repeatedly exposed to aggressive parent or peer models will be more assaultive in their interaction than those who are not exposed Paper ID: NOV161163 628