Peer pressure is when your friends or peers try to persuade or pressure you to do something. Peer pressure can be positive, such as when someone is encouraged to study more to improve their grades, to exercise more or eat healthier foods. It can also be negative when it involves something unsafe or possibly dangerous like lying, stealing, drinking alcohol, using drugs, engaging in unsafe sex or gender based violence. There are ways to counter negative peer pressure. You can develop skills to say no to something you don’t want to do.
If you do not want what the other person wants, you can negotiate, try to find a solution that you are both happy with; delay making the decision; refuse directly; or leave the situation. Let’s learn about each strategy with examples.