preview

Essay on Resisting Negative Peer Pressure

Decent Essays

"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself." --Bruce Lee

"People! Come on! All of us are cutting history. Who wants to go take that stupid exam? We're going to BreadSticks instead. Let's go!" says the coolest kid in your class. Do you do what you know is right and go take the history exam? Or do you give in and go with the crowd? As you grow older, you'll be faced with some challenging decisions. Some don't have a clear right or wrong answer - should you practice the piano or text your girlfriend? Other decisions involve serious moral questions - should you cut class, should you lie to your parents? Making decisions on your own is hard enough, but when other people get involved and pressure you to make a certain …show more content…

However, sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them or a kid in the neighborhood might want you to vandalize with him. A powerful negative peer influence can motivate a teen to make choices and engage in behavior that his or her values might otherwise reject. Teens who feel isolated or rejected by their peers or in their family are more likely to engage in risky behaviors in order to fit in with a group.

But why do kids give in to peer pressure? Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don't go along with the group. The need for acceptance, approval, and belonging is vital during the teen years. Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that "everyone's doing it" may influence some kids to leave their better judgment, or their common sense, behind.

Anyway, nearly everyone ends up in a sticky peer pressure situation at some point. No matter how wisely you choose your friends, or how well you think you know them, sooner or later you'll have to make decisions that are difficult and could be unpopular. But these situations can be opportunities to figure out what are right for you. There is no magic for standing up to peer pressure, but it does take courage, YOURS! Here are some

Get Access