Remember that it’s totally okay to say “no” if you don’t want to do something, and confide in a friend, parent, or counselor if you’re struggling to deal with the situation. Attend therapy if you’re struggling and nothing seems to help. You can find a therapist by contacting a local mental health clinic or your insurance provider.

Intervening early can help ensure your teen’s physical, emotional, and psychological how to deal with peer pressure safety. It doesn’t take long for children to learn that life is full of choices.

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Peer pressure can sway decisions and outlooks, particularly in adolescents whose minds are still developing. While there are both positive and negative qualities of peer pressure, it’s essential to know how to handle social stress. Below find tips on https://ecosoberhouse.com/ and avoid making tough decisions that may trigger adverse outcomes. The desire to fit in and feel like you are part of a group is normal, and most people feel this way sometimes, especially in the teen and young adult years. Peer pressure, that feeling that you have to do something to fit in, be accepted, or be respected, can be tough to deal with. Dealing with this pressure can be challenging, but it’s important to reflect on your own personal values and preferences and make decisions based on those rather than on peer pressure. If you suspect that your kids are struggling with negative peer pressure, encourage them to talk to you.

Your journal should be a safe place to write out your thoughts and feelings. Try meeting people who share common interests with you.

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Teens empowered with tools to face challenging social situations gain important opportunities to express their values. They have confidence to do what’s right and skills needed for healthy future relationships. Our role as adults is to give them the tools to do so. When teens make a choice that is right for them and stick with it, they learn to express their values. What is ok for one person may cross a line with another. Remind your teens that they are their own people making their own choices. It is up to us as parents, to establish the boundaries that will keep them safe and to guide them towards healthy values they will choose to follow.

It’s ok to give excuses to avoid making decisions that you may feel are not right for you. As a result of this built-in reward pathway, individuals may feel coerced into taking risky actions that they would otherwise avoid. However, science is discovering that there may be more at play within the brain that exposes us to specific influences. Knowing how to deal with peer pressure, experts say, comes with time and development. 3.TYPES OF PEER PRESSURE – ’+’ & ‘-’ • Peer pressure can be positive or negative. • When peer pressure is positive, it pushes you to be your best.

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They can also help support you in handling peer pressure in the future. It’s okay to admit you’re struggling, and they will most likely want to help you. Peers can be your friends who are about your age and have similar interests and experiences. Peers can also be other kids who are about your age and are involved in the same activities with you or are part of a community or group you belong to. You may not consider all of your peers to be friends, but they can all influence you.

• In these cases the teen needs help developing a strong enough internal compass and sense of self to confidently make independent choices.
• Let your friends know that you will meet them at the event itself.
• You might even wonder if the friendship is over or needs to end.
• Part of that role involves helping teens successfully navigate increasingly complex social situations.

Avoid places where people do illegal activities or other things you feel uncomfortable around. Lean on people for support, like your friends, family, or a therapist. In the case of teens, parents are rarely concerned about the peer pressure their kids may face to engage in sports or exercise, as these are typically seen as healthy social behaviors. This is OK, as long as the exercise or sport does not become an unhealthy way of coping, excessive to the point of negatively affecting their health, or dangerous . Friends and peers can have positive and negative influence on children. Parents can influence the odds that teens are surrounded by positive peer groups by encouraging participation in a variety of healthy activities. In addition, the prefrontal cortex – a critical component of decision-making – is still developing from ages 12 to around 17.

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For instance, if your friend is body-shaming another person, you can say, “Actually, it can be really harmful to criticize people’s bodies like that.” We tend to hear more about the potentially negative effects of peer pressure.

• Being able to spot signs of peer pressure will allow you to intervene when you recognize that your child or someone you care about is headed down an unhealthy road.
• Try to avoid going places where it’s likely you’ll be pressured into something you don’t want to do, and consider finding a new group of friends if the pressure continues.
• It’s how kids “try on” different parts of becoming young adults.
• Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind.
• Studies show that most parents view their own child as disinterested in certain high risk behaviors and her peers as interested, or even predatory, with regard to those behaviors.
• The best way to avoid repeating a mistake is to learn from it.