Peer Pressure - How To Tackle It In School/College?

Peer pressure occurs when a person engages in certain activities against his/her wishes only because other people around are doing it. 

However, in school/college, your friends tend to be influential and with the intention of impressing them or “fitting in”, you might lapse into the kaleidoscope of alcohol, narcotic substances and other unfavourable habits.

Dealing with peer pressure is essential as it will keep you focused and help you remember the reason you came to school/college for. Once you give in to peer pressure, turning back is very difficult and prolonged exposure to the wrong company and substances will lead to your downfall. Thus, avoiding peer pressure in an absolutely new setting is necessary.

Here are a few ways to avoid/deal with peer pressure:

1. Introspection: It is important to know yourself and the beliefs and morals you believe in to live by your own principles. To know yourself better, you need to introspect- Do you think drinking alcohol is wrong? Is lying to your parents dangerous? Will smoking actually make you happy? 

When you are aware of the values you stand for, you will be able to take a stand better when someone forces you to do something contradictory to your beliefs.

1. Don’t be afraid to say no: Don’t be afraid to take a negative stance regarding something you don’t want to engage in. If your companions are still forcing you, do not change your stance and try something for the sake of it. Say no with conviction and the more certain you are with your stand, the lesser people will force you into something.
2. Choose your friends wisely: This doesn’t mean that you need to limit yourself to interacting with only certain kind of people. However, when the situation boils down to building good relations, it is advisable that you choose people who share the same beliefs and values as you. This makes you less prone to peer pressure as your friends will constantly keep reminding you what’s wrong.
3. Avoid stressful situations: If you think you won’t be able to handle the pressure inflicted you on by your peers, avoid those situations. For example, in a party, if you’re being forced to drink alcohol despite you denying, head for the exit.