Professional Documents
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LINK/REFERENCE: school.au.reachout.com
When starting secondary school, it’s normal for students to feel influenced by their peers as they
negotiate and manage new structures around friendships, belief systems and where they fit in. Peer
pressure can cause students to do or say things they wouldn’t normally do or say. It isn’t always a bad
thing: pressure from a student’s peers to study harder or to stand up to bullying can have positive results.
But on the flip slide, some influences can be negative, such as pressure from peers to treat some people
badly or to engage in risky behaviour such as binge drinking. This type of peer pressure can impact on a
student’s self-confidence and self-concept, and may isolate them from their family and friends.
Promoting a culture of diversity and inclusivity, encouraging open discussions with students and parents
around peer pressure, developing key communication skills to help in managing negative peer pressure
situations, and building resilience, are some practical ways students can be supported.
Learning to look after yourself has been shown to build self-confidence and provide positive feelings. This
confidence can assist students as they cope with influence and pressure from their peer group.
As teenagers, it’s normal for students to want to have friends and fit in with a group. However, sometimes
when trying to fit in, they give in to peer pressure and find themselves doing things they don’t feel
comfortable doing. Use this lesson to start the conversation with students about peer pressure.
Being able to control impulses and reactions to different situations is an important skill. This activity asks
students to stop and think before they act.
Where peer pressure is involved, students may do things they normally wouldn’t and feel as though they
have let themselves down. In this activity, students reflect on their understanding of ‘failure’, and on the
importance of mindset in learning from mistakes.
Understanding what peer pressure is
Giving in to pressure from your friends to do something you normally wouldn't do can leave you feeling
guilty, regretful, ashamed, embarrassed or even frightened. Find out what peer pressure is and how to
handle it, including what to do if things get serious.