Sex, Drug, Porn, Smoking…: How to deal with Teen peer pressure and addictions

(By Kayla Chanai)

Today, we would be treating the subject of peer pressure and you may wonder who your peers are. Well, the people you see around you make up your “peer group.” They’re the people you see just about every day. They’re sympathetic to your situation. They understand the feelings of having to do an assignment, face the teachers, being forced to do house chores, siblings, and more because they’re going through the same things you are. Having a peer group means that you get to hang out with people who totally get you or rather understand you and even better, give you some independence from adults. A peer group can encourage you to do good things like help others, develop your potentials, and even study more. But your peers can just as easily try to make you do things that you would never normally do, and could potentially harm you.

Peer pressure is all around you. As a teenager you want to fit in and be part of the majority. Look at your friends. Are you wearing your hair the same way or maybe have the same brand of clothes on? Even if you don’t, I’m sure you enjoy the same things and that’s why you’re friends. Your peers are one of the greatest influences in your life, but they can also be the quickest to pressure you into something you don’t want to do. Whether a friend wants you to partake in exam malpractice, have pre-marital sex, steal or smoke after school, the decision is all yours. If you’re in control, then they can’t be, so you have to be assertive.

Being assertive means doing what you want to do, not what someone else wants you to do. Trust me, peers will look up to you, rather than give you a hard time if you express your own opinions. In such situations tell the person “NO” and don’t back down. If they still keep pressuring you, use the words “I feel” and “Why” to respond and take the offensive. For example, “Why do you keep pressuring me when I told you I don’t want to? If they still don’t back down or respect your wishes, refuse to discuss the matter further and, if needed, remove yourself from that situation.

Doesn’t sound easy, does it? Sometimes it’s best to know ahead of time what your values and beliefs are and to express them often to friends and peers. If they know where you stand, they are less likely to pressure you to join in, and may even feel compelled to model your positive example. Remember it’s your life, so rise up and live it! We would continue next week.