All
about peer pressure
Have you ever given in to pressure? Like when a friend begs
to borrow something you don’t want to give up or to
do something your parents say is off limits? Chances are
you probably have given into pressure at sometime in your
life.
How did it feel to give into pressure? If you did something
you wish you hadn’t, then most likely you didn’t
feel too good about it. You might have felt . . .
•
sad
•
anxious
•
guilty
•
like a wimp or pushover
•
disappointed in yourself
Everyone gives in to pressure at one time or another, but
why do people sometimes do things that they really don’t
want to do? Here are a few reasons. They . . .
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are afraid of being rejected by others
•
want to be liked and don’t want to lose a friend
•
want to appear grown up
•
don’t want to be made fun of
•
don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings
•
aren’t sure of what they really want
•
don’t know how to get out of the situation
When you face pressure you can stand your ground.
If someone is pressuring you to do anything that's not right
or good for you, you have the right to resist. You have the
right to say no, the right not to give a reason why, and
the right to just walk away from a situation.
Resisting pressure can be hard for some people.Why?
They…
•
are afraid of being rejected by others
•
want to be liked and don’t want to lose a friend
•
don’t want to be made fun of
•
don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings
•
aren’t sure of what they really want
•
don’t know how to get out of the situation
Sometimes resisting isn’t easy, but you can do it
with practice and a little know-how. Keep trying, even
if you don’t get it right at first. To get started,
check out Quick Tips.
Quick Tips: You can resist alcohol or anything else you
may feel pressured into. These tips will make resisting
a little easier.
Peer pressure isn’t all bad. You and your friends
can pressure each other into some things that will improve
your health and social life and make you feel good about
your decisions.
Think of a time when a friend pushed you to do something
good for yourself or to avoid something that would’ve
been bad.
Here are some good things friends can pressure each other
to do:
• Be honest • Be nice
• Avoid alcohol • Respect others
• Avoid drugs • Work hard
• Not smoke • Exercise (together!)
You and your friends can also use good peer pressure to
help each other resist bad peer pressure.
If you see a friend taking some heat, try some of these
lines …
•
We We don’t want to drink.
•
We We don’t need to drink to have fun.
•
Let’s go and do something else.
•
Leave her alone. She said she didn’t want any.
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