Peer Pressure
Scenario one: Tonya and Kim absolutely hate their math teacher. He always gives them a
hard time in class, and he is so boring. One day before math class, Kim asks Tonya to
skip class so they can hang out at the park.
Scenario two: Rick just received his driver’s license, and his dad is going to let him
borrow his new SUV. However, in order to drive the vehicle, Rick can have no more than
two friends in the SUV, is not allowed go out of town and must be home at 11 p.m. Three
of Rick's friends want him to drive them to a party 30 miles away.
Scenario three: Nia and Brett have been dating for several months. They haven’t
discussed sex, but both of Nia’s best friends have “gone all the way” with their boyfriends
and tell her that most couples their age are having sex. Nia knows she isn’t ready for sex,
but she doesn’t want her friends to think she’s immature.
How would you handle peer pressure if you were involved in one of the above
situations?
These scenarios are examples of some of the pressure that teens encounter in their lives.
Most teens are taught right from wrong at an early age and, thus, know what to do and
what not to do. However, when our friends or our peers get in the picture, our vision
becomes blurred and all the morals and rules we are taught suddenly disappear.
The Role of Peers
Growing up can be stressful. For the first time in your life, you are becoming independent
and are held accountable for the decisions you make. You are going through so many
changes. Teens often look to their friends when making decisions. What they do and how
they feel about you play an important role in how you perceive yourself.
Your friends have their own set of informal rules. Some peer groups or cliques have their
own style of dress or ideas about what’s cool. If you’re comfortable with what your
friends do and enjoy spending time with them, great. However, just because something is
normal for a group doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for you to do. For example, if your
friends think it’s cool to shoplift from the mall, you should find new friends.
Most people select their friends based on common interests. But if these interests begin
to change and you don’t want to be a part of what your peer group is involved in, you
need to make new friends.
*Tip 1: Real friends will not pressure you to do the wrong things.
*Tip 2: Real friends will not desert you for standing up for what’s right.
