Courage
How to Handle Peer Pressure
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then
they fight you, then you win.
(Mahatma Gandhi)
“The
single major factor influencing these poor decisions was negative peer
pressure.” (Sharon Scott, nationally recognized counselor)
1.
The Power of Peer Pressure
When
Everybody's Doing It
"The
Three Lines Test"
|
Card #1
Line A: ______________
Line B: ______
Line C: ___________
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Card #2
Line A: _____
Line B: _______________
Line C: ____________
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Card #3
Line A: ____________
Line B: __________
Line C: _____
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Where
We Face Peer Pressure
-
In
class: It's exam week. You're not doing well in class. Everyone
else is cheating.
-
At
lunch: Everyone makes fun of the kid who doesn't fit in.
-
In
the neighborhood: All your friends are smoking marijuana after
school, before their parents get home.
-
At
the sports camp: Everyone's picking on the small guy or the slow
guy.
-
At
the sleepover: Everyone's gossiping about about the new girl at
school.
When the Pressure Gets Personal
"A
Shocking Experiment"
Conclusion:
Going Against the Flow
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has
already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since
for him the spinal cord would suffice. (Albert Einstein)
Step
#1 - Think Through Your Non-Negotiables.
Step
#2 - Practice How to Say "No".
Brainstorm:
-
Your
friends ask you to walk to the gas station and steal a couple of cans of
beer.
-
Your
friends invite you to go into the woods and smoke some marijuana with them.
You don't want to go.
-
You're
driving with friends in your car on Friday night. Another friend pulls up
beside you and challenges you: "Let's race to the end of the
street."
-
You're
in class and someone wants to copy your paper. You don't feel right about
it.
