Krystal Payne English 101 Thursday, Apirl 5th, 2012

peer pressure When I was younger I would always hange out with my friends outside of our apartment building. There would be at least four girls and we would joke around and gossip. On any occastion at least one person in our group could come up with something they wanted to try. One day we were all outside and our friend Mandy comes around with her older brother Richered and he's smoking a cigerate and asks my older sister Anita if she wants to try one and she says "no thanks" and he looks at her and says " are you sure, everyone else has tried it atleast once I'm sure" and moves alittle closer. Well at that moment his siter Mandy slaps her brother and says "leave my friends alone, don't listen to him Nita don't let him pressure you into anything" and she smiles and walks away. Her brother laughs " peer pressure" he mutters with another laugh. Well my sister didn't try smokeing that day but that wasn't the only day we were ask to partake in somthing because a fried was. Eatch time the outcome would be different, either we would rise above whatever it was or we would conform and particapate. From the moment we enroll into school we are surrowded by our peers and the influence they have

on our daily lives. Peer's are the people whom make up your close friends and even family.The pressure that these people bring to your life may be both postive or negative. However, most noted peer pressure is negative dealing with friends talking other friends into "conforming to the expectations of the group" (2002). There are different ways peer pressure can effect a person. Also there are different things to inprove to help you say "no" to peer pressure. t's not all bad, peer pressure can be postive as well as negative. For example University of Nebraska's family scientist Herbert Lingren stated that peers may "reinforce family values" he also countined on to say that postive peer pressure is what may keep many kids involved in youth religious programs, going to "4-H meetings" or protespating in other postive activties ( Mark Rafenstein). Negative peer pressure is when friends or others try to talk you into doing something that is illeagl or unsafe. Such as taking drugs and drinking, skiping school or even smoking cigerates when underage. Most youth know wrong form right they know when thier doing something "bad" or "wrong" but they do these things anyway to fit in, to be liked and accepted. They may even be doing it out of fear of being looked at differently or down at by their friends even made fun of ( Mark Rafenstein). The pressure that our peers put on us can have different affects on our lives. The overall outcome would depean on the type of peer pressure is envolved and what you were being pressured to do. If a friend is trying to include you in something illegl such as skiping school you could get caught with school efecials and be given some type of subsbechine and in trouble at home. If the activites are illegal like doing drugs, you may be arrested and given jail time and have a mark on your proment rocored. If its something

postive it could change your life forever but in a "good" way. If you apply to college just because your friends are then altmaily you could go to school and get a degree which could inprove your life. Peer pressure is always going to be apart of your life it is something that has been around for centrey's and well remane thought your young life into adulthood. There are a few steps that you can take that could help you with saying "no" to negative peer pressaure. Try to stay away from situations that may make you feel uncomfortable, if you don't smoke stay away from known areas where your peers go to smoke. If your offfered something that you wouldn't noramly take try being opean with your friends by telling them "this just isn't my thing" (Mark Rafenstein). Pick your friends smartly if your friends belive in the samething you do more times then not you welln't be asked to partake in something you don't want to. If your friends are asking you to doing something that makes you feel awared then try standing up and say "lets do something else" maybe someone else feels the same way you do. "Be true to yourself" think about what your about to do and why, are you doing something that may be harmful just to gain popularity or to seem like you belong and is what your about to do get you into trouble. If your in a postion like this try telling your peers "if your really my friend back off" (Mark Rafenstein). Get some self-esteem and learn to say "no", it may be hard but it is an imporant skill to fend off negative prssure (Mark Rafenstein).

Source Citation: afenstein, Mark. "How to combat negative peer presure. (relationships)." Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication Sept. 2002: 29+. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. "peer pressure." The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3rd ed. 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2002. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Apr. 2012.