Growing up everyone will expierence some form of peer pressure. Peer pressure is the control and influence people your age may have on you. Peer pressure can occur in many kinds of relationships. The way you respond to peer pressure can have a great impact on the decisions you make and, in turn, your total health. There are may different types of peer pressure. There is positive, negative, and manipulation.
Positive peer pressure is not limited to following or setting good examples of what to do. It can also provide examples of what not to do. A teen whose friends do not use alcohol or other drugs may be positively influenced to follow their example. Being a good role model is also a great way to demonstrate positive peer pressure. Influencing peers to take part in a positive act or worthwhile cause is a healthful way of influencing others. It can be contagious.
Sometimes, peers may pressure others to accept beliefs or take part in a behavior that has negative consequences. For example, your friends may try to influence you to do drugs and assure you it is the right thing to do when you know it is wrong. A clique or club may have an "intention" for would-be members that includes stealing or taking part in another crime or wrongful act.
One way people exert peer pressure over others is manipulation. This is a sneaky or dishonest way to control or influence others. A person who manipulates others does so to get what he or she wants without respect for the well-being of the person being manipulated.
Throughout your life, people will make many request or demands of you. Some of these will call for you to respond with a firm yes or with a firm or unapoligitic no. How your respond can directly affect you mental, social, or physical health, even your life. If you are in a group situation, submitting to peer pressure can sometimes make a conflict worse. You need to find ways to avoid becoming part of the problem.
