BGS Girl Tips

|Dealing with PEER pressure|

Everyone has peers. Peers can be your friends who are about your age and have similar interests and experiences. Peers can also be other kids who are about your age and are involved in the same activities with you or are part of a community or group you belong to. You may not consider all of your peers to be friends, but they can all influence you.

Peer pressure can be positive or negative. When peer pressure is positive, it pushes you to be your best. Negative peer pressure is when someone who is a friend or part of a group you belong to makes you feel that you have to do something to be accepted. It's the negative peer pressure that we usually think of when the phrase peer pressure is used. When you give in to negative peer pressure, you often feel guilty or disappointed with yourself for acting in a way that goes against your beliefs or values.

 Some examples of negative peer pressure are:

1. Needing to dress or act a certain way.

2. Cheating or copying someone else's work or letting others copy your work.

3. Not including certain people in social activities.

4. Taking dangerous risks when driving.

5. Using drugs or alcohol. (Against your will/ underage)

6. Shoplifting or stealing.

7. Engaging in sexual activity.

8. Engaging in bullying or cyberbullying.

9. Projecting a misleading/false image on social media.

If you feel pressured by people to do things you're uncomfortable doing, there are lots of ways to respond. Be prepared to deal with peer pressure by having a response ready. Avoid places where people do illegal activities or other things you feel uncomfortable around. Lean on people for support, like your friends, family, or a therapist.

Method 1. Responding to Peer Pressure in the Moment

Tip #1 Say 'no' like you mean it.

The most basic way to respond to peer pressure is to just say 'no.' Standing up to peer pressure will save you the trouble of getting pressured again in the future because it sends a clear message that you're not interested. Be firm and make eye contact. This shows that you're not willing to compromise.

There are lots of ways to say no. For example, say, "I don't do that" or, "No thanks, I'll pass." You can also say, "I'd rather not, thanks."

Be careful not to get baited into doing something by being called "scared" or "a chicken." Stay firm in your own decision.

Tip #2 Change the subject if you're uncomfortable responding to questions.

Avoiding the question might send the message that you're still interested but don't want to respond. That may lead to further pressure later on. Changing the subject, however, will at least buy you some time until you feel ready to respond (or not respond at all).

Change the subject by saying, "Do you want to watch this movie with me? I've really been wanting to see it, but it's no fun watching it alone."

If someone at a party is pressuring you into drinking, try asking "So what do you think of the DJ so far?"

Tip #3 Make an excuse to leave.

This is a great option if you're feeling shy or intimidated, or if you don't want to come off as being rude. Come up with some sort of an excuse, apologize, and get away as soon as you can.