Relationships
Social life
Peer pressure
Peer pressure is when you feel like you should do something because friends or other people your age are doing it. This can often be something you don't really want to do and which isn't in your best interests.
Some of the things that young people can sometimes feel peer pressure to do include:
- Skipping school
- Underage drinking and smoking
- Taking drugs
- Having sex before you are ready
There are lots more things that you might feel pressurised to do. However, not all peer pressure is bad. Peer pressure might mean you take up a sport or musical instrument like your friends are doing, for example, and you could end up getting a lot out of it.
Usually when people talk about peer pressure though, they are talking about the bad things that young people can feel pressured into doing. There are ways to deal with this kind of peer pressure and to make sure you stay safe.
What you can do
It's difficult standing out from the crowd and saying no to something everyone else is doing, but it's not impossible. You shouldn't have to do anything that you feel bad about just because your mates are doing it and, if they are true friends, they should respect and understand that.
Have more than one group of friends or people that you hang around with. It's good to have different perspectives and to have the support of more than one group of people. If you're experiencing peer pressure from your school mates, you could join a club or society of some sort, where you could meet new people.
Try talking to your parents or carers or a teacher you trust if you are finding peer pressure hard to deal with. For more people to talk to, see the 'Who Can Help?' section of this article.
