Second Post Assignment - CST #1 and # 2

Catholic Social Teaching and the Problem of Peer Pressure

Our social justice project is on peer pressure.Peer pressure is when an adolescent or a child's social group influences them to accept or take new values in order to conform to that social groups identity and norms. This pressure is often negative. It encourages deviant behaviour and takes away individuality. Thus we are hoping to present a presentation that will encourage people to see peer pressure as a real problem and work on a way to solve the problem.

CST #1-Life and Dignity of a Human Person

The Catholic Church teaches that each human being is created in the image of God. With this said, the Church leaders preach that it is the responsibility of every human society to make sure that human life is protected from the moment of conception to death. Peer pressure puts societies adolescents and children in danger. Children and adolescents are more inclined to partake in deviant behavior due to the influence of peer pressure. Their participation in deviant behavior, such as drug use or joining a gang, puts their lives at risk and even sometimes puts them in potentially fatal situations. Thus, peer pressure must be prevented so that children and adolescents do not partake in risky behavior that is potentially problematic for their life.

CST#2- Call to Family,Community, and Participation

CST # 2 states that the family should be recognized as the basic unit of society where Catholic Church teachings and values are taught and implemented.Thus, every government must protect,encourage, and support families for the benefit of the entire society. Peer pressure often leads children and adolescents to drift away or disrespect their parents and other members of the family. Thus, adolescent's behavior that arises from peer pressure is detrimental to the family's well being. Since the family's well being is threatened, then the entire society is in trouble. To preserve society and keep family as the basic unit of society, then power of peer pressure must be lessened.

Nick Goldsmith wrote this