--Original published at Site Title

We all face peer pressure in life. From small, meaningless things to big life decisions, we feel pressure from others to make a certain decision. A lot of times, the decision that others want you to make may not be the best one. For this reason, people need ways to deal with peer pressure. There are a lot of tips on the internet for dealing with peer pressure for all different kinds of audiences. For this post, I chose tips for college students, high school students, and athletes.

The first website I found was bestcollegereviews.org. Their first suggestion was to find a group of students that are focused on school. This is definitely a good first step. Surrounding yourself with the right people is very important. If your friends have the same values as you, it will go a long way towards not feeling peer pressure. Not everyone has the same values though, and even if you find a group of friends that are focused on school, stuff happens and you could still find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. Whether it is alcohol, drugs, sex, or something else, you might need a way to deal with pressure. The website says to say “thanks, but no thanks” to offers to do something you are not comfortable with. If that does not work, politely leave the situation. Finally, if neither of those work, get in contact with an adult you trust. I think these tips work in an ideal world and should usually work but sometimes people will keep pressuring you. In that situation, being all nice about it will not really work. You should be firm or even get aggressive. It might not be the best for your relationship with that person but it will get you out of that situation. Getting out of the situation is usually the best way to deal with peer pressure.

The next website was 6 tips for dealing with peer pressure in high school. It is by teens.drugabuse.gov. I read through it and it really was not tips. The article was more of excuses to give people so you avoid drinking or doing drugs. These are good to have but they’re nowhere near perfect. People will eventually pick up on the excuses and one of two things will happen. Either you get left alone or pressured more. In the case that you get left alone, then the excuses did their job. But sometimes people will keep pressuring you. The website does not really give any tips for if you find yourself in this situation. If that situation does come up, it is probably best to follow the tips from the first website and politely leave.

My final website was tips for dealing with peer pressure for athletes. Peer pressure for athletes is a little different than regular peer pressure. It comes more as pressure to perform. This pressure can affect your performance positively or negatively depending on how you handle it. Their first tip is to reframe the pressure. Instead of seeing it as negative, see it as positive. This change in perception is huge. It puts you in a much better mindset which will go a long way towards performing better. They then say to reduce external and internal sources of pressure. Parents, coaches, and for some athletes, reporters can put a lot of pressure on. The website suggests that you talk to them about it. A lot of times, your parents and coaches do not know they are putting pressure on you and talking to them and letting them know will get them to stop. You also put pressure on yourself to perform. The website advises that you let it push you to perform better. Their next tip is to know the symptoms of pressure. If you can recognize the pressure, you can start to deal with it. The first step is knowing it’s there. Their next tip is to use the pressure in your training. Knowing you have a big game coming up can push you to work harder to get ready. This can be really good for you but it could also spell disaster if you overdo it. You have to make sure you are using the other methods of dealing with pressure, not just training. So many athletes have gotten hurt from pushing themselves too far while getting ready for a big game. Their last tip was to make a checklist. If you have a specific process that works for you, it is best that you write it down and follow it. Pressure could make us do some things that could harm our chances of success, having a checklist can keep you from doing something out of the ordinary.

--Original published at Site Title

http://www.yourlifecounts.org/blog/20-ways-avoid-peer-pressure

This website lists tips for avoiding peer pressure for teenagers. “Ask 101 questions,” “Say ‘No’ like you mean it,” “Back up a no with a positive statement,” “Be repetitive,” “Practice saying no,” “Get away from the pressure zone,” “Avoid stressful situations in the first place,” “Use the buddy system,” “Confront the leader of the pack,” “Consider the results of giving in,” “Look for positive role models,” “Don’t buy the line that everyone’s doing it,” “Seek support,” “Be your own best friend,” “Find ways to excel,” “Don’t pressure others,” “Speak out!,” “Watch your moods,” “Evaluate your friendships,” and “Find new friends” are the recommendations from the website. These tips are likely generally effective. Consistently reaffirming a “no” can dissuade those creating tension from continuing to pressure others. Friends who do not participate in actions which are forced can also aide in stopping others from causing peer pressure. Interactions with friends who enforce negative actions should be suspended. Independently speaking out against peer pressure is equally as effective as speaking out in a group. There are some flaws in these tips. Avoiding stressful situations can be difficult for teenagers, especially in high school and college settings. This suggestion is not likely to be as successful as the others.

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/6-tips-resisting-peer-pressure/

This website lists tips for parents with children susceptible to peer pressure. These tips are “Don’t overreact,” “Talk about what makes a true friend,” “Get to know your child’s friends,” “Talk about what independence really means,” “Role play peer pressure,” and “Model saying ‘No’.” The suggestions may be somewhat successful for parents. Demonstrating peer pressure and how to resist it can teach children to avoid peer pressure at young ages. Monitoring a child’s relationships to determine influences can stop the child from entering potentially harmful friendships. More recommendations could be added to this list. The existing tips are somewhat vague. Despite this, parents can glean some useful information from this website.

http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/Pressures.html

This website list tips for avoiding peer pressure for middle schoolers. “Take time out,” “Do something else for awhile- exercise, read, see a movie, listen to music,” “Talk to someone- friends, parents, a teacher or counselor,” “Ask for help,” “Take a fresh look; brainstorm new solutions,” “Don’t be overly critical of yourself; give yourself a break,” “Think of your past accomplishments,” “Think about your good qualities,” “Learn your limits; don’t take on more than you can handle,” “Put things in perspective; pressures usually pass,” “Write a journal,” and “Use your sense of humor” are the tips from the website. These suggestions are likely helpful for middle schoolers struggling with pressured situations. Encouraging students to seek assistance from parents and teachers can be beneficial. Writing journals, brainstorming, and reflecting upon oneself can create distractions from the pressured situation. Knowing one’s limitations and not being overly critical of oneself allow stressors to be lessened. There are some flaws in these tips. Pressures may not always pass quickly. Handling the situation immediately is optimal.

--Original published at Site Title

Peer pressure is pervasive, especially with ages that are still in school such as elementary to high school. I don’ t think college students are effected that much by peer pressure because by that age they’re not as easy to persuade. The first website I looked at was for parents. The website gave parents tip to give to their children about how to deal with peer pressure. The first tip was to take a deep breath; when a peer asks you to do something you don’t feel comfortable with doing, just take a deep breath. I thought that was a weird tip to give someone. Not only will your child be peer pressured, there might be a possibility to their getting bullied as well. The second tip was to tell the peers that they are doing bad things and could result in consequences. Most children that do risky things and peer pressure others already know that they are doing something that they shouldn’t be. That being said, I don’t think that this tip is very helpful either. The only helpful tip that came from this website was thinking about the consequences that come with having risky behaviors.

The second website I researched was for college students. The website said to be confident about yourself. Peer pressure comes from conformity, which is people having the tendency to submit to a group. I thought this was a good tip because the more confident you are in yourself, the less likely you are to change your views or morals. Another tip was to become friends with people who share similar values and morals. There will be no need for peer pressure if your friends do the same things as you do. The media makes it seem like college is all about partying and getting drunk, but they are just as many people that don’t go out than the ones that do. You just have to find a group of people that do what you want to do.

The last website I looked at was for teenagers. I think peer pressure effects teenagers in high school the most because they’re still trying to figure themselves out. It is easier for them to actually give into peer pressure. The first tip was to ask a lot of questions. When someone asks you if you want to smoke, ask them why they smoke. I don’t think that this is a good tip because you don’t want to make the person uncomfortable, especially if it is your friend. You don’t want to come off as being judgmental. The best tip that this website gave was to say no with confidence. Confidence is key in any group dynamic, if a person senses insecurity they might keep asking you do something that you don’t want to do. Another good tip is to try not to put yourself in a stressful situation. If you don’t like drinking or smoking, and feel uncomfortable with saying no, then find friends that do alternative activities.

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/5-steps-resist-peer-pressure/

http://www.mycollegepal.com/blog/how-avoid-peer-pressure-college

http://www.yourlifecounts.org/blog/20-ways-avoid-peer-pressure

--Original published at BillardnBlog

Peer pressure can be brought up in someone’s life no matter their age. It can be very difficult to go against a crowd of people. Especially the ones you know very well. The pressuring situations may become more serious the older you get. Ways to resist peer pressure may have some overlapping methods, but there are some specific methods given to go against pressure at different stages of life.

Kidshealth.org refer to peer pressure as the influence people your age give when dealing with certain decisions. They include how some people give in to the peer pressure. Mainly kids, find it difficult to go against their peers because they want to be liked or want to fit in with the majority. Kids health simply put resisting peer pressure as having the strength and confidence to say “no” to something that goes against your beliefs. That is what everyone is told, but there is so much more to peer pressure than just saying no. Some influence is very powerful no matter how confident you are in yourself. This site also suggests to surround yourself with friends that have similar views and beliefs as you. This will keep situations of peer pressure to a minimum. If they do arise, staying close to these people can help say no peer influence. These are well known and simple ideas to resist peer pressure. As kids get older more serious situations arise and the harder it is to resist the influence.

Teens.webmd.com relates peer pressure to teens specifically. The difficult situation that arises is the use of alcohol and drugs. Their description of peer pressure is conforming to “the group” wether is the jocks, musicians, or populars. Some situations teens are likely to face involve high risk. This site suggests considering the risks of the situation. If there is a party with alcohol, problems that could arise are if the police arrive and you get arrested. A snowball of questions can arise; how will this effects my parents, will this ruin getting into college later. This is a good idea on how to resist pressure because it makes you think about the consequences of the situation and having negatives out number the positives makes the decision easier to make.

Uwhealth.org focuses on adult peer pressure. As adults are more mature since their teenage years, the ideas to help resolve peer pressure are more sophisticated. They go back to the simple way of just say no. This is a more reasonable suggestion because adults have a better understanding of themselves and their beliefs. They are stronger and can directly say no to a stressing situation presented to them. If saying no isn’t enough for the ones pressuring you, uwhelth suggests replying with statements that start with “I think, I will, and I want”. This shows good self control and strong hold on personal views. Validating yourself is a good method given to be strong against pressure. Some may always be against your personal views, but knowing you resisted the pressure can make you feel better because you stood up and stuck to your beliefs. From psych, self-efficacy is the belief in your own abilities. Having this belief keeps you stronger to stand up against the pressure being put on.

There are many ways to help resist peer pressure, but it ultimately comes down you your choice. You can weigh the risks, consult others, or make an excuse. But after all these things, the only thing that stops the pressure is a direct “no” and removing yourself from the unwanted situation. Staying true to yourself may be difficult at the time, its worth it later.

Sources:

“Dealing With Peer Pressure.” Edited by D’Arcy Lyness, KidsHealth, The Nemours                       Foundation, July 2015, kidshealth.org/en/kids/peer-pressure.html#.

“Teens and Peer Pressure.” WebMD, WebMD, teens.webmd.com/peer-pressure#2.

University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. “Dealing with Peer Pressure                 When You’re an Adult.” UW Health, http://www.uwhealth.org/news/dealing-with-peer-                 pressure-when-youre-an-adult/46604.

--Original published at Lynsey Wissler's Blog

Peer pressure is a common thing, even if most do not think so. As much as people would like to hope, it is not avoidable. In today’s world, there are many things which drive children, teens, and adults to do something which they are not comfortable. But what isn’t However, what is commonly overlooked is how to resist this inevitable thing which will at one point or another cross every teenager’s path.

When researching how to avoid peer pressure amongst children, kidshealth.org has several suggestions. They suggest the saying “no” approach, even when it isn’t the easiest thing to do. This website also suggests surrounding yourself with people who have similar views and morals as you so that you have someone to back you up in a time where it could be challenging to say “no”. Lastly, this website suggests that if kids are struggling with peer pressure, that they find someone that they can trust to talk to and discuss what is happening with. It is much easier to go through something when you’re not alone. Overall, I think that this website did a good job in suggesting ideas, however, I feel that these ideas are all much easier said than done and do not do a good job in illustrating how young kids can stay away from peer pressure.

NIDA for teens gives, in my opinion, an excellent approach to avoiding peer pressure. It first suggests offering to be the designated driver for your friends. Personally, I feel that this is an excellent option and “excuse” for your friends on why you are not participating in the activities with them. It is also suggested that you blame your “no” on an outside source. For instance, a sports team, your plans with your parents tomorrow, babysitting etc. Another tip which I think would be very helpful would be to carry a bottled drink with you to parties so that people are not as likely to offer you a drink. Finally, the website suggests “when all else fails, blame your parents”. My parents personally always suggested this to me and when the time, it worked very effectively. Overall, this website did an excellent job discussing suggestions for teens.

Like I previously mentioned, my parents had a role in helping me to avoid peer pressure.  New Beginnings gives several other ways which parents can help their children avoid peer pressure. First, they suggest for the parents to understand what is happening in the situation with the children. I personally think that this is essential when giving a good suggestion to your kids. They also suggest for the parents to do role-playing as they prepare their children for possibilities. Lastly, they give suggestions for parents to understand the different types of peer pressure; digital, verbal, written and physical. These suggestions I feel are all beneficial to kids.

Personally, I think that something that can help and is very important is to have a sense of yourself and an understanding of who you are. This relates back to psychology when it comes to moral decision making. How and why you do what you do is important when making decisions and this relates directly back to psych. Self-Efficacy is another way in which our class can relate to peer pressure. Having a belief in your own abilities can help you to believe that you will be able to resist the peer pressure and make your own decision.

All in all, peer pressure is a very prevalent thing for all ages…teens, children, and parents. There are many good ways in which someone can avoid peer pressure and make the right decision once some research is done and action is taken on the best ways.

--Original published at MentzersBlog

Peer pressure is something may people deal with everyday, some good and some bad. Many schools sped lots of time teaching kids to do thats right, but what are the right steps for not giving in to peer pressure?

One the first website they are reaching out to children and little kids with a five step method of avoiding peer pressure. The first step they have them do is take a deep breathe and clam down. Secondly they have you find your words to speak up for yourself. Thank it through the consequences is the third step. The forth step they have down is that you should suggest another activity or thing to do. Lastly they have you just walk away. These methods are generally good and are easy for children to follow. Taking a deep breathe is big to me because the more clam yo are the better you will do. Another good method they had down was suggesting something else which is very good at working.

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/5-steps-resist-peer-pressure/

The next website focuses more on teenagers. They talk about things you can say. The website first expressed that you candy NO. When saying these things be firm about it but not aggressive. Stand up tall when speaking and all them how you feel about the situation. Just like the first website the last thing you candy is walk away. These methods seem to be good but it is hard for a teenager to stand up against the group, and express how they feel. So this may be effective it won’t work if the child is shy.

https://www.howtolearn.com/2012/10/how-to-resist-peer-pressure/

The last website focuses on young adults on avoiding peer pressure. The steps they first start out by thinking your yourself ” Am I okay with this.” The website also wants you to have a close friend with you that will back you up. Just like the other websites it wants you to say NO when feeling uncomfortable and peer pressured. If they are pressuring you to do bad things, they are not your friends and you need to walk away. Not only that, if you see someone being pressured stick up for them. Lastly the website says that you can not please everyone so do what is right. These methods of peer pressure have you stop and think if this is right, and thinking if you are comfortable with these actions. Also they bring a good point about bringing your close friend to be there for you.

https://caps.ucsc.edu/counseling/aod/peer-pressure.html

Overall fund these websites helpful for anyone who is peer pressured a lot. It can be stressful in the situation but you just ned o remember what you were taught. In my town we learned a lot about peer pressure and emphasized these methods on what to do when facing problamatming situations.