PEER PRESSURE
LESSON 5
Peer and Peer Pressure
• Peer: is a person of similar age or status
• What is “peer pressure?”
– Influence that people of similar age or status
place on other to behave in a certain way
2 types of peer pressure
• Positive peer pressure: influence from
peers to behave in a responsible way
• Negative peer pressure: influence from
peers to behave in a way that is NOT
responsible.
• Peers who try to force you to make wrong
decisions often just want support for their
wrong actions!!!!!!!!
• They don’t care about your experience of
feelings you have as the result of the
negative outcomes.
10 Negative Peer Pressure
Statements
• No one will ever know
• What’s the big deal
• I do it all the time and
have never been
caught
• We’ll go down
together if anything
happens
• Everybody else is
doing it
• You’ll look older and
more mature
• Try it, you’ll like it
• You only live once
• Don’t be such a wimp
• Don’t be chicken
Resistance Skills: skills that helps a
person say “NO” to an action or to
leave a situation
• Say NO with self• Avoid people whom make
confidence
wrong decisions
• Give reasons for saying
• Resist pressure to engage
NO
in illegal behavior
• Broken-record technique
• Influence others to make
• Nonverbal behaviors
responsible choices.
match verbal behavior
• Avoid situations in which
there is negative pressure
• Broken record technique: ways to
strengthen a “no” response by
repeating the same response several
times
• Nonverbal behavior: the use of
actions to express emotions and
thoughts.
• Self-confidence: the belief in oneself
– You believe in your ideas, feelings, and
decisions
• Assertive behavior: the honest
expression of ideas, feelings, and
decisions without worrying or feeling
threatened
– Show others you are in control of yourself,
– You clearly state your thoughts or feelings
– you don’t back down on your feelings or
thoughts
• Passive behavior: holding back of ideas,
feelings, and decisions.
– Don’t stand up for themselves
– Look away when sharing feelings/ making
decisions
– Lack self confidence
• Aggressive behavior: use of words or
actions that are disrespectful toward others
– Monopolize conversations
– Name calling, sarcastic remarks
– Threaten others due to lack of their own selfconfidence
3 Steps to be Self-Confident and
Assertive
• Answer 6 questions & evaluate
consequences of your decisions.
– Promote health
– Protect safety
– Follow laws
– Show respect for myself and others
– Follow guidelines of my parents / responsible
adults
– Demonstrate good character
• Imagine a shield of protection in front
of you when peers pressure you to
make wrong decisions
• When you doubt yourself, talk with a
parent, guardian, or other responsible
adult.
10 outcomes of giving in to
negative peer pressure
•
•
•
•
Harm health
Threaten your safety
Break laws
Disrespect to yourself
and others
• Disregard guidelines
• Shows poor character
• Feeling disappointed
in yourself
• Feel resentment
toward peers
• Hurt self-confidence
• Feel guilty &
ashamed
5 Actions if you have given in to
negative peer pressure
• Take responsibility for any decisions,
actions, or judgments that result
– Honesty and don’t blame others
• Consider ways to deal with the negative
outcomes
– Restitution – making good for loss or damage
– You must make things right
• Examine reasons why you gave in to the
negative pressure
– Was anything specific?
• Make a plan on how to handle similar
future situations
– Learn from your mistakes
– Better prepared for the future
• Ask responsible adult to help you review
situations in which you gave in to negative
peer pressure.