The influence of the peer educational climate is defined by the amount and the style of help that people receive from the peer group; this is determined by elements of the peer context, like the dynamic of communication and effective relationships, attitude towards value and expectations. (Temitope and Christy, 2015). It is thought that intelligent students help their peers bring up their academic performance. (Landau, 2002).
Across a variety of cultural settings, people tend to be friends with those who are most like them. In fact, socio-demographic characteristics are usually the strongest predictors of friendship formation. The literature reviewed focused more on positive influence of peer pressure and did not dwell much on the negative part. A lot of factors contributing to negative peer pressure were left out. Different types of peer groups have unique capacities to encourage negative or positive behaviors in their members. Across countries, different groups participation in high-risk health behaviors, including smoking cigarettes, alcohol use, marijuana use, and engagement in illicit sexual behavior. In the United States, groups are often distinguished from other peer groups through the pressure they exert on their members to conform to certain norms in work orientation, drug use, and sexual behavior. (Prinstein, Fetter, and La Green 2001).
In many African countries, Students in peer groups experience the desire to live well. This relates to the basic needs and how they can be met (Brown, 1996). Given the high cost of living especially for students at universities, this in most cases is considered as a long term goal in order to meet the current needs which may be considered as being urgent. In Zambia, Peer groups are among the most influential social forces affecting adolescents? behavior in decisions like clothing, hairstyle, music, and entertainment to more important decisions concerning short and long term education plans. During the formative adolescent years peers are arguably even more important than the parents, teachers, and counselors and the peer- influenced
