Children are often confronted with peer pressure, and reality therapy can assist them in understanding how to cope with these pressures in a constructive manner. “So one of the first things we can do is we can help children understand that our culture is full of influence attempts and peers are just another set of forces that are vying for our attention and are vying to shape our behavior,” suggests Brett Laursen, Ph.D. However, fighting peer pressure can be a lonely and challenging thing to do. Here are twenty tips for resisting peer pressure.
Tip 1: Ask “one thousand” questions. When a classmate suggests you skip school, inquire why he skips school, how many times he skips school and if he likes having low grades.
Tip 2: Refuse with force. Look them in the eye and refuse with strength in your voice. People are less likely to continue pressuring you if you are forceful.
Tip 3: Follow up your refusal with a non-negative message. When you refuse a suggestion that you smoke a cigarette, follow up your refusal by stating that you prefer to have clean lungs.
Tip 4: Repeat your refusal when necessary. Be prepared to repeat your message as often as needed continually.
Tip 5: Exercise refusing. Exercise the habit of ignoring requests or suggestions in safe surroundings such as at home when your older sister suggests that you wash her clothes during the weekend.
Tip 6: Exit the high-pressure area. Depart from the situation and avoid peer pressure.
Tip 7: Abstain from peer pressure scenarios. When you are invited to a party that you know will be serving alcohol, come up with an excuse and do not accept the invitation. Do not hang out with kids that you know do drugs.
“Research suggests children are most vulnerable to peer pressure between the ages of 10 and 14,” shares Alex Lickerman M.D.
Tip 8: Have a friend assist you. Look for a friend who has the same ethical principles as you do and helps one another fight peer pressure.
Tip 9: Face the alpha individual. Bullies sometimes come in packs, and there’s an alpha individual who the other bullies follow. Talk to the alpha alone. State how you feel and request that you be left alone.
Tip 10: Ponder what will happen if you submit. Spend some time to meditate on the outcomes of succumbing to peer pressure.
Tip 11: Search for good individuals to look up to and emulate. You will observe that the flourishing and productive kids are those who are not fearful of speaking their mind.
Tip 12: Do not believe when you are told that everybody does it. The fact is that everybody does not do it.
Tip 13: Look for assistance and reinforcement. Discuss your situation with individuals who are in a similar situation. Strength can be found in numbers.
Tip 14: Be kind to yourself. Tell yourself from time to time that you are extraordinary and excellent. Squash any non-positive thoughts about yourself.
Tip 15: Look for opportunities to stand out. Drive yourself to exceed your current abilities. Concentrate on achieving your own aims rather than the aims of your friends.
Tip 16: Do not be a source of peer pressure. Be careful about how you interact with others. You might not realize you are inflicting peer pressure on your friends.
Tip 17: Do not remain silent. Support the opinions of friends, even if the belief is not popular. This will tell others that you are an independent and strong-minded thinker.
Tip 18: Monitor your emotional state. Remember that your emotional state has an impact on the way you think and make decisions.
Tip 19: Choose your friends wisely. Real friends will not continually try to make you do things that you do not want to do. “If a child shows discomfort and anxiety about spending time with friends, this may signal conflicts in their peer group relationships,” said psychologist Dr. Melanie Killen.
Tip 20: Replace your friends. If you realize that your current group of friends is not suitable for you, then you should replace them with friends who will accept you the way you currently are.
Do not forget that you matter. Your life is valuable, and you can be a productive and essential member of society.