Understanding Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is the influence of friends, classmates, teammates, and other people your age can have on your thoughts, decisions, and actions. It can be positive or negative.

Positive peer pressure encourages things like:

-Studying together

-Joining a sports team

-Volunteering in the community

-Encouraging healthy habits.

Negative peer pressure encourages things like:

-Using alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs

-Breaking rules and laws

-Bullying and/or excluding others

-Taking dangerous risks to fit

Why teens can be the main target?

Teen brains are still developing. At this time of your life, social acceptance and friendships become very important. This can make it harder to resist pressure, especially in group settings.

Decision-Making Skills

Making good decisions often means slowing down, and thinking before you do something.

A helpful process is 

Stop, Think, Choose, and Reflect

Stop: Take a deep breath.

Think:  Look for possible consequences of the action.

Choose: Now, that you've done the first two steps, choose your action.

Reflect: Ask yourself "Was this action right?"

How to say No!

Saying no to your friends under peer influence doesn't have to be rude. If you're confident, and stick with your decision, It could be easier for you to say no.

Saying No includes:

"No thanks, I'm good"

"That's not for me"

If you play a sport for a team, you can say "I have practice tomorrow"

"I'd rather do something else"

You don't have to give someone a lengthy explanation for why you're saying no!

Strategies To Handle Peer Pressure

To handle peer pressure you can:

-Spend time with family and your trusted friends.

-Practice saying no

-Just get up and leave situations that make you uncomfortable. If someone make you uncomfortable, follow the "How to say No" above and then after a few minutes, get up and leave.

-Talk to a trusted adult or guidance counselor.