Not necessarily positive or negative, but we’ve all given in to peer pressure at some point or another, have borne the consequences of it and lived to tell the tale, haven’t we?
What the term peer pressure means
Peers are those persons we go to class with, associate with (hang out with), and who are like us by way of age and preferences. We may have peers at the workplace or we may meet some of them at an occasion and continue to stay in touch with.
Peer Pressure is the influence you have on them and them on you. It is the level of influence, the degree of impact; they can have on you & your peers to act on something.
Even though peer pressure doesn’t imply an adverse influence, the expression “pressure” infers that individuals are goaded into doing things that they might be impervious to, or might not prefer to do.
So typically the expression “peer pressure” is applied when we are discussing practices that are not considered socially all right or are negative behaviours, for example, smoking, bullying, and stealing. In the modern context, the expression “peer pressure” isn’t normally used to portray positive behaviours, for example, following rules, being obedient or studying to achieve better grades, etc.
While these may be just broad definitions, do remember that they are simply the superficial categorizations of this topic and there are many other forms of peer pressures such as direct negative, indirect negative, positive, behavioural, addictive, spoken and unspoken among other forms of pressure.
Helping your child manage the pressure
Realizing that your child is facing direct negative or indirect negative peer pressure can be devastating for you as a parent. It can lead you to introspect about many things – Whatever happened to the positive values you had taught, the moral compass you thought your child had, the right & wrong differentiator you assumed was thoroughly ingrained in him/her?
Remember that while peer pressure is normal (and expected), taking pre-emptive steps, setting down healthy boundaries, being aware and making the child realize the perils of peer pressure are perhaps the better methods to shield youngsters.
This way, they gain trust in their capacity to explore difficulties and say ‘’Yes’’ to things they have confidence in. They gain the self-assurance to state a firm “No,” regardless of whether it might be disagreeable with their companions.
Additionally, as parents, the below-mentioned strategies will help to serve as a guide when you’re handling a child or teen/pre-teen facing peer pressure –
MAKE THEM AWARE OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Make your adolescents aware that what comes out of their mouths constitutes a small part of their personality — The Non-verbal communication a.k.a body language is a far bigger factor in what they ‘say’ to other people.
Teach them the art of saying things determinedly via their body language. Leaning away when a peer is instigating something unsavory shows a bodily sign that they are not interested or are hostile to the suggestion. Likewise, crossing arms and saying a determined ‘no’ implies they are closed to the idea of going along with the plan.
Furthermore, encourage them to convey their No’s through unmistakable non-verbal signals such as not staring away from the instigator, holding fast with a firm stand, and resisting urges to panic. Some of the times, the best technique to teach them is to simply leave and remove themselves from inconvenient situations.
SET REASONABLE TIME LIMITS
As parents; give your teen/ pre-teen a reasonable time limit inside which he/she should normally get back home. If they exceed the time limit or get late, don’t scold, chide or punish them, rather give them a time out by getting them to clean out the attic as disciplinary action.
Allow for some legroom, yet also guarantee that they are not abusing the freedom.
Let them enjoy their time with their companions once a week (or whatever schedule you’re comfortable with). Likewise, converse with them about ill impacts of drug abuse and of using cuss words, however, don’t talk down to them or wield an iron hand every time you deal with them.
SSVM World School
As instructors and educators, we understand our role emphatically – We know that we can positively influence the youthful personalities of adolescents. While we aim to empower our school’s youngsters by helping them develop a virtue and value system, we realize that they need guidance and help in conquering their battles.
This is where the educators at SSVM World School step in.
We aim to show the way by being positive role models ourselves.
To do this, we conduct multifaceted positive reinforcement sessions for students and likewise for the school’s instructors/ teachers. Appropriately, at SSVM World School, we teach our school-going youngsters to understand their personalities, assist them with achieving objectives for themselves and guiding them on moral rights & wrongs.
As one of the best schools in Coimbatore, SSVM World School propagates the belief that positive learning outcomes happen when students and educators are given the right content and circumstance.
