What is Peer Pressure?
• Pressure from one's peers to behave in a manner
similar or acceptable to them.
• Peer pressure is the influence of a social group
on an individual.
Think….
• What forms does peer pressure take?
▫ Good vs. Bad?
• Why do people give in to peer pressure?
• What feelings can result from being pressured?
Why does bad peer pressure exist?
• Peers who pressure you
to make wrong decisions
often want support for
their wrong actions
• People want to be
accepted, even if it is for
all the wrong reasons
• It can give a false sense of
belonging
What to do….
1. Recognize the TYPE of pressure trick
2. Decide the best way to RESPOND
Peer Pressure Tricks: Spoken
• Rejection: Threatening to end a friendship or
a relationship. This pressure can be hard to
resist because nobody wants to lose friends.
Peer Pressure Tricks: Spoken
• Put Downs: Insulting or calling a person
names to make them feel bad.
Peer Pressure Tricks: Spoken
• Reasoning: Telling a person reasons why they
should try something or why it would be OK if
they did. (Nobody said these were good reasons.)
Peer Pressure Tricks: Unspoken
• Unspoken Pressure: This is something you
feel without anyone saying anything to you. You
feel unspoken pressure if you want to do the
same things others doing.
▫ Continued on next slide….
Peer Pressure Tricks: Unspoken
• A group of kids standing together in which
everyone is talking and maybe looking at
something you can't see, laughing and joking.
Peer Pressure Tricks: Unspoken
• Kids who think they're cool give you a certain
look that means we're cool and you're not.
Peer Pressure Tricks: Unspoken
• A group of popular kids decide to get the same
backpack and you want one too.
Go to this website to test
your knowledge of the
different types of peer
pressure. You have to
understand them to avoid
them!!!
http://thecoolspot.gov/p
eer_pressure5.asp
Peer Pressure
The Right to Resist!
• If someone is pressuring you to do something,
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.
Know your No’s: Least Effective
• Passive: Use a thin or small voice, mumble,
make excuses, use weak body language
• Why is this an ineffective way?
Know your No’s: Least Effective
• Aggressive: Act pushy or angry, be loud, threaten
or blame, use put-downs, and get in-your-face
with the other person
• Why is this an ineffective way?
Know your No’s: Not Very Effective
• Avoiding: Change the subject, avoid the issue,
try to distract the other person
▫ *Could work in some situations, but it is still not
best b/c they won’t see how you stand on the issue
▫ In what situations do you think this will work?
Know your No’s: Not Very Effective
• Know-it-all: Throw out facts, act superior, be
judgmental, tell others how they are feeling, and
get personal and off topic with the other person
▫ Could work in some situations (i.e. w/ family)
• Why is this not the best way?
Know your No’s: Most Effective!!!
• Assertive: Stand up straight, look the other
person in the eye, use a firm voice, speak quickly
and politely, use well-chosen, definitive words
(“No, I don’t want to”)—and don’t accept a
“drink.”
▫ YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Why is this the most effective?
Go to this website
to test your
knowledge of the
different ways to
resist pressure.
Some are effective,
some are not!!!
http://thecoolspot.
gov/right3.asp
Wrap Up
• The key to dealing with negative
peer pressure is self-confidence.
• Be yourself, make your own
decisions, regardless of what
others think.
• Listen to your gut
• Learn to feel comfortable saying
"no."
Wrap Up
• Hang with people who feel the
same way you do.
• If a situation seems dangerous,
don't hesitate to get an adult's
help.
• If you can’t get the words
out….walk away!!!!