Raiven,

I enjoyed reading your post, I thought it was very detailed and well-written! I am glad you mentioned peer pressure as a cause of risky behaviors in adolescents. I truly believe peer pressure serves as the main reason school-aged kids tend to dabble in drugs, underage drinking, petty crime, unprotected sex, etc. As we have learned, trying to change peer relationships to combat risky behaviors is simply ineffective because "peer groups by their nature represent adolescent attempts to establish independent social networks and to provide a supportive structure that is an alternative to parent and family" (Broderick & Blewitt, 2020, p. 415). In your opinion, do you believe there is a way to incorporate peer relationships into behavioral interventions that may promote positive change? With references