Peer group influence on the academic and social life of students in Fafraha Community Senior High School

Abstract

Recently, the nature of peer groups that have sprung in our senior high schools in Ghana have had a tremendous negative impact on both the social life and academic life of the students. Generally, the study examined the influence of peer group on the social and academic life of students in Fafraha Community Senior High School. The quantitative cross-sectional survey strategy was used involving 300 students from SHS 1, 2, and 3 at the Fafraha Community Senior High School. The selection was done using the stratified simple random sampling technique. The descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The study revealed that the bond that exists among peers is very strong to the extent that they find it very comforting to listen to their peers as compared to their family, hence, the possibility of them getting lured into any bad act is very high. Also, the study found out that because the opinions of the members of peer groups are cherished, other friendships were based on the peer group’s approval. This means that a bad friend made by a peer can lead to a multitude of bad friends around them, hence, jeopardizing the social life of that individual. The study then concludes that the nature of peer groups students belong to have a negative effect on both the academic life and social life of students. Hence, the study then recommends that the Guidance and counseling unit in the school should be given an important role in the life of students while they are in school. This would help enlighten them on the consequences of mingling with bad peers. Finally, strict but reasonable disciplinary measures should be implemented sustainably in the school to check the deviant behaviour that may arise from time to time, mostly resulting from peer influence.