Arming students with the knowledge and skills to refuse negative peer pressure and support positive peer pressure will create a better environment for all. Empowering students to stand up for themselves and resist negative peer pressure will help build stronger decision-making skills. The activities in this lesson plan aim to help students understand the difference and practice standing up for themselves.
Peer |
A peer is a friend or acquaintance around the same age |
|---|---|
Pressure |
Pressure is a push to do something; can be negative or positive |
Peer Pressure |
Peer Pressure is a push from a friend or acquaintance to do something either negative or positive |
Students may struggle to stand up to negative peer pressure for several reasons. Asking them to formulate reasoning behind "giving in" is a good way to get the topic started. Some answers you may hear could be:
Not all peer pressure should be negative. There is plenty of positive peer pressure happening all the time without people noticing. Facilitating activities that stimulate positive interactions and pressures will normalize this behavior. Some positive behaviors that could come with a little push from others could be:
