groepsdruk (Afrikaans)
Youth
If you’re between the ages of 9 and 14, you’ve probably experienced peer pressure. Peer pressure is when a person feels like they should do or not do something in order to fit in or be accepted by their friends or peers. Sometimes peer pressure can be a good thing when it encourages us to try something new or make a healthy change, but there are also times when a person can feel pressured to do something more risky or make a decision that could be harmful to their self or to others or do something that we don’t feel ready for. That’s why it’s important to make sure your decisions are right for you based on what you think and try not to worry so much about what others are doing.
Parents
If you’re between the ages of 9 and 14, you’ve probably experienced peer pressure. Peer pressure is when a person feels like they should do or not do something in order to fit in or be accepted by their friends or peers. Sometimes peer pressure can be a good thing when it encourages us to try something new or make a healthy change, but there are also times when a person can feel pressured to do something more risky or make a decision that could be harmful to their self or to others or do something that we don’t feel ready for. That’s why it’s important to make sure your decisions are right for you based on what you think and try not to worry so much about what others are doing.
Educators
Students need to understand what peer pressure is and how to create and communicate their boundaries, since students at this age can feel peer pressure over everything from what to wear, to what to eat, to how to walk and what to believe. It’s very important for teachers to address the topic and give examples for students to think critically about.
At the same time, early and middle adolescents are not able to plan into the future developmentally, so using short-term consequences will be more effective than having them think about possible impacts on them when they are adults. Using things like scenarios, role-plays, video triggers and advice columns can be great ways to get tweens to think about the potential impact of various situations that might involve peer pressure. Also, using techniques like journaling can help students have a private, confidential space to reflect on what they are feeling and how they can handle difficult social situations related to peer pressure.