Does Peer Pressure Hold Up in a Court of Law?

Group mentality can quickly become dangerous. Despite the sense of fun and belonging that groups can offer, they can also get out of hand. Take, for instance, a big crowd at a concert. One minute, everyone could be enjoying the music together, and the other, they could be mobbing and pushing each other out of the way to get a better view of the stage. 

Even small groups can take on a sense of danger. Small groups can become a breeding ground for things like bullying, intimidation, and, in some of the worst cases, peer pressure. Interestingly enough, peer pressure is a unique group phenomenon that most people have experienced in their lifetime. 

Peer pressure can range from things as small as being persuaded to buy something you don’t want to things as large as committing crimes and harming others. In the most extreme cases, is peer pressure a crime? 

Kids and Peer Pressure 

While everyone may be uniquely susceptible to peer pressure, it occurs frequently with children. Consider the viral video, which shows kids peer-pressure their friends to do a dangerous bike stunt. 

The clip shows a young group of boys on their bicycles in a wooded area. One kid looks like he is preparing to jump off some elevated rocks but appears frightened. Before he takes off, he quickly stops and says “I’m actually too scared”. 

Most of his friends continue to pressure him to try out the stunt. Some boys see the danger and try to tell him it’s right to stop, but most continue to pressure him. The boy then goes back and gets ready to make the jump. Unfortunately, after he took off from the rock ramp, he began to flip in the air, landing painfully on the ground. 

An Attorney’s Perspective

According to attorney Ugo Lord, peer pressure can play a role in legal cases. When someone is pressured to do an activity that harms a third party, the person who did the action and those who heavily influenced the action can be held liable. In other words, liability can fall on those who do the action and those who heavily influence it. 

This accident, however, involved no third party. The video shows that the only person harmed was the boy attempting to jump from the rock. Lord asserts that the boy alone is liable because no other party was harmed. Ultimately, he could have prevented the accident by refraining from jumping initially.

Does Peer Pressure Hold Up in a Court of Law?

As mentioned, it isn’t uncommon for people to do things they don’t want to under peer pressure. Likewise, it isn’t unusual for people to peer pressure others into doing things that could become dangerous. With this in mind, is peer pressure illegal? Does it have a place in legal cases? 

Peer Pressure As a Prosecution 

In most cases involving peer pressure, using it as an excuse or an argument is very difficult. Generally speaking, peer pressure is not a crime, even when it leads to dangerous activity. Aside from very niche cases, peer pressure is not usually a strong argument. Most people keep it out of litigation.

To prove someone’s liability within a case, you must be able to show that they were heavily involved in the harm that took place. Generally, this means that you must be able to show they physically enacted the damages or that their negligence played a significant role in creating the damages. 

Peer Pressure As a Defense 

Similarly, using peer pressure as a defense is also difficult. Even though peer pressure may cause someone to do something out of character, they would still act out of their own will. Thus, there would have to be more implications to make a defense. 

If people who pressure another also act out the crime, they can be held liable. Similarly, they may face liability if their pressure escalates into coercion, involving force or threats to compel someone to act. Peer pressure as a defense requires coercing someone’s actions.

Conclusion 

Spending time in groups can be fun and rewarding. They can be places for us to connect, make friends, and simply have a good time together. In the worst situations, however, groups can also become dangerous, as peer pressure can easily take over. In the viral video clip, for instance, the boy who was hurt likely tried out the dangerous stunt due to the pressure of his friends. 

Unfortunately, it is not illegal, and peer pressure does not hold up in a court of law. Thus, in most cases, like the one shown in the video, peer pressure is not enough reason to prosecute.