How to Handle Peer Pressure Fairfax County Public Schools

Teens who volunteer in their community can keep each other motivated to participate. This involvement can lead to exposure to role models and eventually lead to the teens becoming positive role models themselves. Direct peer pressure is when a person uses verbal or nonverbal cues to persuade someone to do something. Having hope reduces feelings of helplessness, increases happiness, reduces stress, and improves our quality of life. People use drugs and drink alcohol for lots of different reasons. Whatever your reason, using drugs or alcohol may have a long-term negative effect on you. Tips and advice to help you cope with feelings of loneliness and isolation.

• Walk away.If you’re faced with peer pressure while you’re alone, there are still things you can do.
• It’s important to allow teens to make day-to-day decisions for themselves.
• These high pressure groups tend to encourage less pro-social behavior than typical peer groups.
• Teens and Peer Pressure — This page features some interesting statistics and information relating to teens and peer pressure.
• Change the subject if you’re uncomfortable responding to questions.

If their temporary lapse in judgment doesn’t cross into territory in which safety or morality are at risk, try to stay calm. Have a reasonable discussion after a bit of time has passed. It should be a conversation in which you don’t pass judgment. If possible, share a situation from when you were younger in which you made a mistake and explain what you learned from it. That even-handedness will encourage them towards making positive choices if faced with a similar peer situation in the future.

Reinforce Values

It is the type of pressure or influence from your peers that makes you act in a certain way against your will or differently than you usually would. The decisions that you might end up taking can certainly affect your future so this topic should definitely not be taken lightly.

Get tips to help manage your emotions and see what to do if you are in crisis. Think about how you will respond in different situations.

How to Deal with Peer Pressure

It’s okay to distance yourself from people and groups that are not serving you in a positive aspect. When it comes to pressures around alcohol how to deal with peer pressure and other drug use, something else to think about is that most students overestimate how many of their peers drink or use drugs.

• These are examples of positive peer pressure leading you to make choices that are good for you and that don’t contradict your inherent values.
• If your friends don’t make bad decisions, you’re less likely to make them, too.
• I think peer pressure is a really big deal if you only have one friend group, because the stakes are higher if they pressure you into something and you have to leave them.
• If the person is persistent, text your friend or your parent to call you.