How does peer pressure influence teens choices about drug use?

Beyond prompting kids to use drugs, peer pressure or the desire to impress their peers can override a teen or tween’s fear of taking risks, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Kids. 1 This risky behavior with drugs and/or alcohol can result in the following: Accidents. Addiction.

How does peer pressure affect a teenager?

Peer pressure might encourage teens to become more active in athletics or to avoid risky behaviors. Or it could lead them to try alcohol or drugs, skip school or engage in other negative behaviors. “Teens have extra unconnected synapses in the area where risk-assessment occurs and this gets in the way of judgement.

How does peer pressure affect drugs?

Peers can influence their friends in supportive or destructive ways when it comes to drug use. In various circumstances, social pressure can be applied that may prevent people from using certain types of drugs, persuade them to not use any drugs at all, or encourage them to misuse all kinds of drugs.

What are some peer pressures of being a teenager?

Peer pressure might result in teens:

  • choosing the same clothes, hairstyle, or jewellery as their friends.
  • listening to the same music or watching the same TV shows as their friends.
  • changing the way they talk, or the words they use.
  • taking risks or breaking rules.
  • working harder at school, or not working as hard.

What are the effects of peer pressure on students?

Peer pressure in high school is both harmful and effective because it can lead to teen depression, high stress levels, negative behavior issues, and poor decision-making and outcomes. Peer pressure is something that causes conflict in an individual’s life.

What are the negative effects of peer pressure?

Negative effects of peer pressure include:

  • pressure to use alcohol, cigarettes or drugs.
  • pressure to engage in risk taking behaviours.
  • distraction from schoolwork.
  • distance between family and existing friends.
  • drastic changes in behaviour and attitudes.

Why is peer pressure so powerful?

The pressure to conform (to do what others are doing) can be powerful and hard to resist. A person might feel pressure to do something just because others are doing it (or say they are). Peer pressure can influence a person to do something that is relatively harmless — or something that has more serious consequences.

How is peer pressure harmful?

Peer pressure can direct to a loss of individuality. Extreme peer pressure may lead you to follow what your peers feel right. Their pressure may force you to go by everything they think right. Peer pressure can actually lead you to lose your tastes in life and force yourself to begin liking what they like.

How can we avoid peer pressure?

What strategies can help handle negative peer pressure?

  1. Pay attention to how you feel.
  2. Plan ahead.
  3. Talk to the person who is pressuring, let him or her know how it makes you feel and tell the person stop.
  4. Have a secret code to communicate with parents.
  5. Give an excuse.
  6. Have friends with similar values and beliefs.

How can you resist peer pressure?

Resistance tips

  1. Look the person in the eye.
  2. Speak in a polite, but clear and firm, voice.
  3. Suggest something else to do.
  4. Walk away from the situation.
  5. Find something else to do with other friends.


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