Peer Pressure in Schools

What Is Peer Pressure? 

In a class discussion with several high school students, peer pressure is defined as someone trying to convince you to do something you don’t want to do. Amanda, a senior in the Capistrano Unified School District, says that peer pressure is when another student keeps “pushing and pushing until you finally say yes or no to something.”

Peer pressure tends to have a negative connotation.  The students divided  peer pressure into two categories: things that affect your life, such as drugs and sex, and things that affect your well-being, such as your self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth.

Why Do Kids Succumb to Peer Pressure?

The students gave several reasons for giving in to peer pressure, such as escaping a difficult home life, wanting to be popular or curiosity. 

Melissa, another senior, shared her experience that resulted in giving in to the pressure of drugs and alcohol.

“I was having a lot of problems at home, and I felt like there was no escape.  I hung around with kids who had similar problems, and the drugs and alcohol gave me a reprieve from the chaos at my house.  I got kicked out of school, lost my spot on the soccer team, and when I got into rehab, I learned that I was not learning how to deal with my problems, only using the drugs as a band-aid that was short-lived.”

Melissa is now back in school and has a new confidence in herself and even though her home life is not much different, her reaction to it is, which makes all the difference for her.

Ann, yet another senior, shared that high school years can be lonely when you don’t belong to a social group, so if the wrong person approaches you, appearing to be a friend,  that desire to belong is so strong that you go along with whatever they suggest.

Is There Positive Peer Pressure?

Peers can encourage, suggest and model things that can have a positive impact on each other, too.  Kids learn from each other because they share classes, are teammates and socialize at school.  It's human nature to observe, listen to, and learn from other people in any situation. The talented athlete, the smart kid in a class or school leader can make a difference in the choices or actions of a person.  An example of positive peer pressure is a student joining a club on campus after being convinced by a peer during a conversation at the lunch tables. 

How Do You Respond to Peer Pressure?

Having an awareness about what is right and wrong can help kids make good choices.  Self-confidence can help someone walk away from a bad situation and resist doing something that is wrong.  Choosing friends with similar values provides kids with support, reminding them of possible consequences.

Going back to Melissa: She shared that the skills she learned through her recovery have definitely affected how she responds to peer pressure.

Her new tools?  Set goals.  Believe in yourself.  Find a mentor.  Never stop learning!