Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Peer pressure
How to get pressure from others off your back!
What is peer pressure?
Peer pressure is a type of pressure or influence pushed on a person by a group of their friends/colleagues/other students. It basically has to do with people trying to force you into doing something you actually don’t want to do, and wouldn’t do if there weren’t others around bugging you to do it. It is traditionally thought of as being limited to the teenage years, but even adults can be pressured by their peers into doing something they do not necessarily want to do. Peer pressure can also be focused on trying to get you to change your opinions, as well as your behaviours.
Peer pressure isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, it can be helpful when friends encourage us and big us up to do something we really want to do. However, generally peer pressure refers to people forcing us to do things we would rather not do.
Why does it happen?
There are lots of reasons why peer pressure happens. It is most common in the teenage and young adult years because this is the time where people tend to hang out in large groups that are not always of their own choosing. So, you might be hanging round with 20 people in a big group, but are only close to one of these, so feel pressured into something by the other 19.
Peer pressure is also common when people are younger because it takes time to build up confidence and to learn to say no. Confidence is something many people struggle with in their younger years, and it tends to gets better with time.
Many people in a group will turn against someone if they do not go along with what most of the group wants. A lot of people don’t have the confidence to walk away from a sticky situation and risk being left on their own.
Gearing up to deal with it:
- It is difficult to say no to peer pressure, but doing something you don’t want to because you feel pushed into it is not likely to make you feel good anyway.
- Try and work on your own confidence levels. If you are confident within yourself and have good self esteem, it will be easier to say no.
- Get talking about the issue to others within the group and find out if there is someone who sees things from your point of view. This way, it won’t be the group versus one, as someone will have your back.
- Talk to someone outside the group such as a parent, a friend not involved in the group, a teacher or even a counsellor. They might be able to make suggestions that help the situation.
- Consider making friends with others who do not do pressurise you into doing stuff you are uncomfortable with.
Further Information:
www.childline.ie
Low self esteem
Making new friends
