Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van opvoeding is om die kind tot volwassenheid te lei. 'n Volwasse persoon is iemand wat homself ken, 'n inherente sin virwaardes navolg, sedelik selfstandige besluite kan neem en verantwoordelikheid kan aanvaar. Groepdruk belemmer die verwerwing van bogenoemde eienskappe by die adolessent en bemoeilik gevolglik sy opvoeding. Daarom stel opvoedkundiges toenemend meer in groepdruk as fenomeen belang. Die doeI van die ondersoek was om 'n meetinstrument te ontwikkel waarmee adolessente geidentifiseer kan word wat groepdruk moeilik hanteer. Daarbenewens was dit oak die doel om die belangrikste veranderlikes wat verband hou met groepdruk te identifiseer. 'n Literatuurstudie is onderneem met die doel om die fenomeen groepdruk te analiseer, ondersoek in te stel na die meetbaarheid van groepdruk en vas te stel watter faktore met groepdruk verband hou. 'n Meetinstrument is ontwikkel met die doel om groepdruk te meet (betroubaarheidskoeffisient : 0,86). 'n Empiriese ondersoek is uitgevoerwaarby 452 hoerskool adolessente (234 seuns en 228 dogters) betrek is. Benewens groepdruk is verskeie veranderlikes soos verhouding met ouers, verhouding met maats, selfbeeld, waardes, intelligensie en persoonlikheid ook gemeet. Biografiese gegewens soos geslag, ouderdom, demerietes, buitemuurse aktiwiteite en posisie in gesin is ingesluit. Uit die empiriese ondersoek blyk dit dat : • groepdruk 'n afname toon en verander vanaf graad 8 na graad 12; • selfbeeld, ouderdom, populariteit en verhouding met maats as die vernaamste veranderlikes wat met groepdruk verband hou, beskou kan word. Die implikasies van die bevindinge in die literatuurstudie en in die empiriese ondersoek is bespreek met die doel om ouers en onderwysers met riglyne te voorsien wat hulle kan aanwend om adolessente minder kwesbaar vir groepdruk te maak. / The aim of education is to guide the child towards adulthood. An adult is expected to know himself, follow an inherent sense of values, make moral decisions independently and accept responsibility. Group pressure hampers the attainment of the above characteristics during adolescence and therefore makes education problematic. For this reason educationists are taking a growing interest in group pressure as a phenomenon. The aim of this study was to develop a measuring instrument to identify adolescents who find it difficult to deal with group pressure. In addition it was also the aim to determine the most important variables which relate to group pressure. A literature study was undertaken in order to analyse group pressure as a phenomenon, to analyse the measurability of group pressure and to determine which factors relate to group pressure. An instrument was developed to measure group pressure (reliability coefficient: 0,86). An empiricalinvestigation was carried out involving 452 high school adolescents (234 boys and 228 girls). In addition to group pressure, several variables were measured such as the individual's relationship with parents and friends, his self-concept, values, intelligence and personality. Biographical information such as gender, age, number of demerits, extra mural activities and birth order was collated. From the empirical investigation it seems that • group pressure shows a decline from Grade 8 to 12; • self concept, age, popularity and relationship with friends can be considered the most important variables relating to group pressure. The implications of the findings in the literature study and empirical investigation were discussed with the aim to provide parents and teachers with guidelines which they can apply to make adolescents less vulnerable to group pressure. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)