Cultism constitutes a social problem in our contemporary society. The raising cases of cultism among youths in recent time have become a pressing issue globally. The scourge of cultism continues to ravage youthful population which is largely instigated by peer pressure. This study explored the relationship between peer pressure and cultism in Gwer-East Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria.

The study examined the influence of identity formation on youths involvement in cultism, assessed the influence of manipulation on youths involvement in cultism and investigated how fear of rejection influences youths involvement in cultism in Gwer-East LGA. The study adopted Social learning theory. The study is crosssectional.

The sample for the study comprises 426. Data was collected through Questionnaire and In-Depth Interviews. Quantitative analysis was done using Statistical Service Package for Solution (SSPS). While qualitative data was analysed using manual content analysis. The study found that the search for a stable identity during adolescence age inspire youths into cultism. The study also found that fear of social exclusion from friends or social circles creates a powerful incentive for youths to join cultism, as they seek a sense of belonging, acceptance. The study concludes that desire for identity, acceptance and fear of rejection drives youths participation in cultism. The study recommends that community leaders, religious bodies and stakeholders should develop mentorship and counseling initiatives that will support the youths in building healthy self-identities and resilience against the allure of cult groups.