The best way to deal with peer pressure in teenagers

The best way to handle peer pressure is to get involved in educating teens about the effect it has on them. Peer influence is when you choose to do something you wouldn’t otherwise do, because you want to feel accepted and valued by your friends. It is not just or always about doing something against your will.

You may hear the term “peer pressure” thrown around a lot. But peer influence is a better way to describe how teen behavior is shaped by wanting to feel like they belong in a group of friends or peers.

The influence of peer pressure can be positive among both adolescents and adults. For example, your child may be influenced to become more assertive, try new activities, or become more involved at school. But it can also be negative. Some teens may choose to try things they wouldn’t normally be interested in, such as smoking or engaging in antisocial activities.

Peer influence can result in children:

• choose the same clothes, hairstyle, jewelry as your friends

• listening to the same music or watching the same TV shows as your friends

• change the way they speak or the words they use

• breaking the rules

• work harder in school, or not work as hard at all

• dating or engaging in sexual activities

• smoking or using drugs Another best strategy for dealing with peer influence is to strike the right balance between being yourself and fitting in with your group.

Some children are more likely to be negatively influenced by their peers, for example children who have low self-esteem, feel they have few friends, and have special needs. These children may feel that the only way they will be included and accepted in social groups is by taking on the behavior, attitudes, and appearance of a group.

Children who have strong self-esteem better resist the negative influence of their peers. If your child is happy with who he is and the decisions he makes, he is less likely to be influenced by other people. Self-esteem helps build good relationships, and positive friendships also help build self-esteem. Helping your child deal with peer pressure and influence is practically possible,

You may be concerned that your child is being too influenced by his peers, or that he is selling his (or your) values ​​to fit in with his friends. You may also worry that your child won’t be able to say no if he feels pressured to try risky things, like smoking. But listening to the same music and dressing the same as your friends doesn’t necessarily mean doing the same antisocial or risky things.

Your child can do some things that his friends do, but not others. You also have an influence on your child, especially in the long run. If your son has a strong sense of himself and her values, he’s more likely to know where to draw the line when it comes to risk assessment. It is in our interest to know that every adolescent deserves love and patience, and also to educate the child’s mind to help him develop great self-confidence. Peer pressure can be a huge motivator when given the right guidance.