short speech on peer pressure

Speech On Peer Pressure [1,2,3 Minutes]

In today’s competitive environment, everyone feels peer pressure. Some people consider it to be helpful while others believe peer pressure is not always beneficial. Hence, It has become an important issue to discuss and find out the advantages and disadvantages of peer pressure.

In this article, there are many examples of speech on peer pressure of 1, 2 and 3 minutes in duration. It will also help you understand a short and simple definition, the types, and the purpose of peer pressure. This will help you write a good speech.

1 Minute Speech On Peer Pressure

Hello and welcome all of you gathered here. I am here to share my thoughts on peer pressure.

If you are a student, your classmates are your peers. If you are an employee, your colleagues are. The actions of your peers impact you in a positive way or a negative way. These actions drive you to do the same irrespective of what your goals are.

Peer pressure drives you to think of a competitor to your group. This way, people suffer from anxiety and depression. This is why peer pressure is considered a negative term. It completely depends on the person who handles it. Only he or she can get the advantages of peer pressure.

Dealing with peer pressure is an art. If one knows how to use it to help in growth, it can be proved helpful. Hence, it becomes important to explain to children the ways to handle peer pressure in earlier stages of life so that they lead a stress-free life. Thank you!

2-Minute Speech On Peer Pressure

Before I deliver my speech I would like to wish you all the best wishes & I also want to thank you a lot for having me a chance to share my views on this important topic i.e. peer pressure.

What is peer pressure? Some of us understand it well. Anyway, I want to explain it in my own words. Please let me know if I say anything wrong.

Here is an important word “peer” to be understood clearly. The word “ Peer ” comes from the Latin which means equal . A peer is someone at your own level. For example; if you are a 12th grader, your classmates are your peers.

“As we know that we are social creatures. We want to grow on the same level as others in the society. This aspiration of growth drives us to be competitive with others . Also, this leaves a pressure on our psychological health. This pressure is simply called peer pressure.”

Now, a question arises in the mind; Is peer pressure beneficial? Different people have different thoughts on this. Some people consider it to be helpful while others believe peer pressure is not always beneficial. Hence, It has become an important issue to discuss and find out the advantages and disadvantages of peer pressure.

If we think unbiased, peer pressure is neither beneficial nor harmful. It has some positive and some negative impacts. On the one hand, Peer pressure helps students to motivate to do extraordinary. On the other hand, it can cause them to suffer from fear of failure.

Hence, it has both impacts of one side. Peer pressure is not limited to students, people feel peer pressure in each sphere of life. Most importantly, many people suffer from severe depression and anxiety. It completely depends on the person and how he handles peer pressure.

To sum it up , it becomes important to explain to children the ways to handle peer pressure in earlier stages of life so that they lead a stress-free life.

This is all thought about peer pressure. I hope it was helpful, Thank you!

Speech On Peer Pressure | 3 Minutes

I warmly welcome all of you gathered here. I am here to deliver a speech on peer pressure. Before I start my speech, I would like to wish you a good day. Also, I want to thank you for having me this valuable opportunity.

Peer pressure is an important issue in contemporary times. I think some of us are well aware of what is peer pressure but I want to explain it so that everyone here can understand the topic well.

Peer pressure is pressure left by our peers. Now, we need to understand who are our peers. The word “ Peer ” comes from the Latin which means equal . A peer is someone at your own level. For example; If you are an employee, your colleagues are your peers.

Peer pressure is classified into many types but it has two main types; positive and negative peer pressure. For example; When your peers achieve a milestone, you compare yourself to them and start working for the same. This is called positive peer pressure .

Opposite to this, when your smoker friends push you to smoke as they believe it to be cool. This is called negative peer pressure . Sometimes you want to say no but peer pressure drives you to make poor choices by not saying “no”. This tendency lowers your self-esteem.

Hence, peer pressure has both negative and positive impacts. It completely depends on the person and how he or she handles peer pressure. Most importantly, many people suffer from severe depression and anxiety and peer pressure can be of any kind.

To avoid the negative impacts of peer pressure, one needs to make decisions wisely. In this process, one can practice some of the common practices. Some of them are;

1. Learn to Say “No”

Saying no is an important ritual for avoiding doing things you don’t want to do. Explain clear reasons behind your refusal. If your peers don’t understand, you should leave their company.

2. Make Friends with similar values

People develop their personalities according to the values received. If you make friends who have similar values, they will understand you well and not force you to do something.

3. Get Away from the pressure Zone

One of the best methods to prevent peer pressure is to walk away from where you feel negative peer pressure. You can spend time alone to figure out your goals and ways.

To sum it up, our brain is our greatest tool that can help us find solutions for every kind of problem. Just find out your ways to eliminate negative peer pressure from the equation. Thank you!

Other Speeches

Importance of time management speech [1,2,3 minutes], speech on ethics and etiquette [1,2,3 minutes], speech about mahatma gandhi jayanti 2023.

• 1 Minute Speech On Health Is Wealth
• 2 Minute Speech On Child Labour
• 1 Minute Speech On Child Labour
• Speech On Nature [ 1-2 minutes ]
• 2 Minute Speech on Importance Of Education
• 1 Minute Speech on Pollution
• 2 Minute Speech on Population Explosion

Related Posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Speech on Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is a part of life, especially during your growing up years. It’s when you feel pushed to act or think in a certain way by your friends. It can be both positive and negative, depending upon what you’re being influenced to do. It’s crucial to understand and manage it well to avoid its potential harms.

1-minute Speech on Peer Pressure

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s talk about peer pressure. This is when friends or people our age try to convince us to do something. It can feel like we’re being pushed into doing things that we don’t really want to do. But remember, we always have a choice.

Sometimes, peer pressure can make us do good things. For example, it can push us to study harder, join a sports team, or help others. This is a positive side of peer pressure. It shows us that we can inspire each other to do better and be better.

But there’s another side to peer pressure. It’s the side that makes us feel uncomfortable, or even scared. This is when friends try to convince us to do things that we know are wrong. Like cheating on a test, or treating someone badly. This kind of pressure can make us feel trapped and confused.

So, what can we do about it? We can stand strong. We can say no. We can walk away. It’s not easy, but it’s important. We should never let anyone force us to do something we don’t want to do.

Remember, it’s okay to be different. It’s okay to make our own choices. Our real friends will respect us for it. And if they don’t, then maybe they’re not really our friends after all.

In conclusion, peer pressure can be a force for good or bad. But the power is in our hands. We can choose to stand up, to be brave, and to do what’s right. Let’s be the kind of friends who lift each other up, not pull each other down. Let’s be strong against peer pressure. Thank you.

2-minute Speech on Peer Pressure

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Peer pressure is something all of us have experienced in our lives. It is that force that makes us do things because others are doing them. It’s like a strong wind that can either push us forward or pull us back. Today, let’s talk about it in very simple terms.

Imagine being on a football field. Your friends are cheering you on to score a goal. That’s good peer pressure. It encourages you to do your best, to achieve something worthwhile. This is the positive side of peer pressure that sometimes, we overlook. It can be a force for good, pushing us to new heights and inspiring us to try new things.

But, like a coin, peer pressure has another side too. It is when you feel forced to act or think in a certain way due to the fear of not fitting in. Imagine a friend offering you a cigarette. You know it’s bad for your health, but you take it anyway because you don’t want to feel left out. This is negative peer pressure. It can lead to bad decisions and make us stray from our core values.

Peer pressure can often make us feel like we’re stuck in a tough spot. You might feel like you’re standing at a crossroad, unsure of which way to go. But remember, it’s okay to say no. It’s okay to choose your own path. You don’t have to follow the crowd all the time. Your true friends will respect your decisions, even if they are different from theirs.

It’s important to understand what peer pressure is and how to handle it. Talk to your parents, teachers, or trusted adults. They can give you valuable advice. They’ve probably faced peer pressure in their own lives and can share their experiences with you.

Remember, you are unique, special, and there’s no one else like you in the world. Don’t let others make decisions for you. Peer pressure can be tough to deal with, but like a ship in a storm, you can navigate through it. Be your own captain, steer your ship in the direction you want to go, not where the wind of peer pressure pushes you.

In conclusion, peer pressure is a part of our lives. It can be good or bad. It’s up to us to decide how we let it affect us. We should embrace the positive side of peer pressure and use it to reach our goals. But when it comes to negative peer pressure, we should be brave enough to say no.

• Speech on Pediatric
• Speech on Peacock
• Speech on World Asteroid Day

We also have speeches on more interesting topics that you may want to explore.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

TED is supported by ads and partners 00:00

Peer Pressure: Everyone's Doing It

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

• School Education /

Essay on Peer Pressure: 100, 200, and 450 Word Samples in English

• Updated on  
• Mar 2, 2024

Have you ever done something just because your friends or peers have done it? Say, watched a movie or TV series, visited places, consumed any substance, or academic achievement. This is a classic example of peer pressure. It means you are influenced by your peers or people around you.

Peer pressure can be both positive and negative, but mostly, it has negative effects. Peer pressure often occurs during adolescence or teenage years when individuals are more susceptible to the opinions and actions of their peers. Sometimes, peer pressure can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, we must deal with peer pressure in a civilized and positive way. 

On this page, we will provide you with some samples of how to write an essay on peer pressure. Here are essay on peer pressure in 100, 200 and 450 words.

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Peer Pressure in 450 Words
• 2 Essay on Peer Pressure in 200 Words
• 3 Essay on Peer Pressure in 100 Words

Master the art of essay writing with our blog on How to Write an Essay in English .

Essay on Peer Pressure in 450 Words

‘Be true to who you are and proud of who you’re becoming. I have never met a critic who was doing better than me.’ – Jeff Moore

Why do we seek recognition? Why do we want to fit in? Why are we not accepting ourselves in just the way we are? The answer to these questions is almost the same; peer pressure. Peer pressure is the influence of our peers in such a way, that we wish and try to do things in the same way as others did. 

Negatives and Positive Peer Pressure

Peer pressure can have positive and negative effects. Positive peer pressure can result in better academic performance, personal growth and development, etc. We can be a source of inspiration to our friends or vice versa, which can result in better academic growth, adopting healthier lifestyles, and engaging in community service. For example, you are part of a group collaborating on a community project that demonstrates the constructive influence of peer interaction. This can encourage a sense of purpose and shared responsibility.

Negative Peer Pressure is the opposite of positive peer pressure. In such cases, we are influenced by the negative bad habits of our peers, which often result in disastrous consequences. Consider the scenario where one of your friends starts smoking simply to conform to the smoking habits of his peers, highlighting the potentially harmful consequences of succumbing to negative influences.

How to Deal With Peer Pressure?

Peer pressure can be dealt with in several ways. The first thing to do is to understand our own values and belief systems. Nobody wants to be controlled by others, and when we know what is important to us, it becomes easier to resist pressure that goes against our beliefs.

A person with self-esteem believes in his or her decisions. It creates a strong sense of self-worth and confidence. When you believe in yourself, you are more likely to make decisions based on your principles rather than succumbing to external influences.

Choosing your friends wisely can be another great way to avoid peer pressure. Positive peer influence can be a powerful tool against negative peer pressure.

Building the habit of saying ‘No’ and confidently facing pressure in uncomfortable situations can be a great way to resist peer pressure. So, it is important to assertively express your thoughts and feelings. 

Peer pressure can have different effects on our well-being. It can contribute to personal growth and development, and it can also negatively affect our mental and physical health. We can deal with peer pressure with the necessary skills, open communication, and a supportive environment. We must act and do things in responsible ways.

Also Read: Essay on Green Revolution in 100, 200 and 500 Words

Essay on Peer Pressure in 200 Words

‘A friend recently started smoking just because every guy in his class smokes, and when they hang out, he feels the pressure to conform and be accepted within the group. However, he is not aware of the potential health risks and personal consequences associated with the habit. 

This is one of the many negative examples of peer pressure. However, peer pressure can often take positive turns, resulting in better academic performance, and participation in social activities, and physical activities. 

Dealing with peer pressure requires a delicate balance and determination. Teenagers must have alternative positive options to resist negative influences. Developing a strong sense of self, understanding personal values, and building confidence are crucial components in navigating the challenges posed by peer pressure.

Learning to say ‘No’ assertively can be a great way to tackle peer pressure. You must understand your boundaries and be confident in your decisions. This way, you can resist pressure that contradicts your values. Also, having a plan in advance for potential pressure situations and seeking support from trusted friends or mentors can contribute to making informed and responsible choices.

‘It is our choice how we want to deal with peer pressure. We can make good and bad decisions, but in the end, we have to accept the fact that we were influenced by our peers and we were trying to fit in.’

Essay on Peer Pressure in 100 Words

‘Peer pressure refers to the influence of your peers. Peer pressure either be of positive or negative types. Positive peer pressure can encourage healthy habits like academic challenges, physical activities, or engaging in positive social activities. Negative peer pressure, on the other hand, can lead us to engage in risky behaviours, such as substance abuse, reckless driving, or skipping school, to fit in with our peers.’

‘There are many ways in which we can deal with peer pressure. Everyone has their personal beliefs and values. Therefore, they must believe in themselves and should not let other things distract them. When we are confident in ourselves, it becomes easier to stand up for what we believe in and make our own choices. Peer pressure can be dealt with by staying positive about yourself.’

Ans: ‘Peer pressure refers to the influence of your peers. Peer pressure either be of positive or negative types. Positive peer pressure can encourage healthy habits like academic challenges,, physical activities, or engaging in positive social activities. Negative peer pressure, on the other hand, can lead us to engage in risky behaviours, such as substance abuse, reckless driving, or skipping school, to fit in with our peers.’

Ans: Peer pressure refers to the influence of our peers or people around us. 

Ans: Peer pressure can have both positive and negative effects on school children. It can boost academic performance, encourage participation in social activities, adopt healthier lifestyles, etc. However, peer pressure often results in risky behaviours, such as substance abuse, unsafe activities, or other harmful behaviours.

Related Articles

For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today.

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

Don't Miss Out

Peer Pressure Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on peer pressure.

Peer pressure can be both negative and positive. Because if a person is a peer pressuring you for a good cause then it is motivation. Motivation is essential for the growth of a person. While peer pressure for a bad cause will always lead you to a disastrous situation.

Therefore it necessary for a person to not get influenced by the people around them. They should analyze the outcome of the deed in a strict manner. So that they no may commit anything harmful for themselves. As this world is full of bad people, so you need to be careful before trusting anybody.

Advantages of Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is advantageous in many ways. Most importantly it creates a sense of motivation in the person. Which further forces the person to cross the barrier and achieve something great. Furthermore, it boosts the confidence of a person. Because our brain considers people’s opinions and makes them a priority.

Many salesmen and Entrepreneurs use this technique to influence people to buy their products. Whenever we are in a social meet we always get various recommendations. Therefore when a person gets these recommendations the brain already starts liking it. Or it creates a better image of that thing. This forces the person to buy the product or at least consider it.

This peer pressure technique also works in creating a better character of a person. For instance, when we recommend someone for a particular job, the interviewer already gets a better image of that person. Because he is recommended by a person the interviewer trusts. Therefore there is a great chance of that person to get hired.

Above all the main advantage of peer pressure can be in youth. If a young person gets influenced by an individual or a group of people. He can achieve greater heights in his career.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Disadvantages of Peer Pressure

There are various disadvantages of peer pressure which can harm a person in many ways. If any person is not willing to perform a task then the peer pressure can be frustrating to him.

Furthermore, peer pressure should not be in an excessive manner. Because it lands a negative impact on the person. A person should be of the mindset of listening to himself first. While considering opinions in favor of him.

Peer pressure in youth from a bad company can lead a person to a nasty situation. Furthermore, it can also hamper a student’s career and studies if not averted. Youth these days are much influenced by the glamorous life of celebrities.

And since they follow them so much, these people become their peers. Thus they do such things that they should not. Drugs and smoking are major examples of this. Moreover most shocking is that the minors are even doing these things. This can have adverse effects on their growth and career.

It is necessary to judge the outcome of a deed before getting influenced by peers. Furthermore, peer pressure should always be secondary. Your own thoughts and wants should always have the first priority.

Q1. What is peer pressure?

A1 . Peer pressure is the influence on people by their peers. As a result, people start following their opinions and lifestyle. Furthermore, it is considering a person or his opinion above all and giving him the priority.

Q2. Which sector of the society is the peer pressure adversely affecting?

A2 . Peer pressure has adverse effects on the youth of society. Some false influencers are playing with the minds of the youngsters. As a result, the youth is going in the wrong direction and ruining their career opportunities.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Best Family Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

What Is Peer Pressure?

Types, Examples, and How to Deal With Peer Pressure

David Young-Wolff/The Image Bank / Getty Images 

• Parental Influence
• Peer Pressure at All Ages
• How to Cope

Peer pressure is the process by which members of the same social group influence other members to do things that they may be resistant to, or might not otherwise choose to do. Peers are people who are part of the same social group, so the term "peer pressure" refers to the influence that peers can have on each other.

Usually, the term peer pressure is used when people are talking about behaviors that are not considered socially acceptable or desirable, such as experimentation with alcohol or drugs.

Though peer pressure is not usually used to describe socially desirable behaviors, such as exercising or studying, peer pressure can have positive effects in some cases.

Types of Peer Pressure

In reality, peer pressure can be either a positive or negative influence that one peer, or group of peers, has on another person. The following six terms are often used to describe the types of peer pressure a person may experience.

Spoken vs. Unspoken Peer Pressure

As the name suggests, spoken peer pressure is when someone verbally influences another person to do something. For instance, a teenager might influence their friend to smoke a cigarette by saying, "Come on, one cigarette won't hurt."

Unspoken peer pressure, on the other hand, is when no one verbally tries to influence you. However, there is still a standard set by the group to behave in a certain way.

Even if no one tells the teenager to smoke a cigarette in the example above, the teen may still feel pressured by their peers to partake in the activity because it seems like everyone is doing it.

Direct vs. Indirect Peer Pressure

Direct peer pressure is when a person uses verbal or nonverbal cues to persuade someone to do something. The example mentioned above of a teen handing another teen a cigarette is also an instance of direct peer pressure because the teen on the receiving end must decide on the spot how they're going to respond.

With indirect peer pressure, no one is singling you out, but the environment you're in may influence you to do something. If you're at a party where everyone is drinking, for instance, you might feel pressured to drink even if no one asks you to.

Positive vs. Negative Peer Pressure

Finally, peer pressure can be described as either positive or negative. Positive peer pressure is when a person is influenced by others to engage in a beneficial or productive behavior.

Negative peer pressure is the influence a person faces to do something they wouldn't normally do or don't want to do as a way of fitting in with a social group. People often face negative peer pressure to drink alcohol, do drugs, or have sex.

Examples of Peer Pressure

Peer pressure causes people to do things they would not otherwise do with the hope of fitting in or being noticed.

Things people may be peer pressured into doing include:

• Acting aggressively (common among men)
• Bullying others
• Doing drugs
• Dressing a certain way
• Drinking alcohol
• Engaging in vandalism or other criminal activities
• Physically fighting
• Only socializing with a certain group

Peer pressure or the desire to impress their peers can override a teen or tween's fear of taking risks, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Kids. Risky behavior with drugs and/or alcohol may result in the following:

• Alcohol or drug poisoning
• Asphyxiation
• Driving under the influence (of alcohol or other drugs)
• Sexually transmitted diseases

Behavioral Addiction

People can also feel an internal pressure to participate in activities and behaviors they think their peers are doing, which can put them at risk for the following behavioral addictions:

• Food addiction
• Gambling addiction
• Internet addiction
• Sex addiction
• Shopping addiction
• Video game addiction

In the case of teens, parents are rarely concerned about the peer pressure their kids may face to engage in sports or exercise, as these are typically seen as healthy social behaviors. This is OK, as long as the exercise or sport does not become an unhealthy way of coping, excessive to the point of negatively affecting their health, or dangerous (as in dangerous sports).

What starts out as positive peer pressure may become negative pressure if it leads a person to over-identify with sports, for example, putting exercise and competition above all else.

If taken to an extreme, they may develop exercise addiction , causing them to neglect schoolwork and social activities, and ultimately, use exercise and competition in sports as their main outlet for coping with the stresses of life. This can also lead to numerous health consequences.

Examples of Positive Peer Influence

We tend to hear more about the potentially negative effects of peer pressure. But the reality is, peer pressure can be positive. For instance, two friends might put positive pressure on each other to go to the gym together and stay accountable for their fitness goals.

Teens who volunteer in their community can keep each other motivated to participate. This involvement can lead to exposure to role models and eventually lead to the teens becoming positive role models themselves.

You can also positively peer pressure others by the way you respond to situations. For instance, if your friend is body-shaming another person, you can say, "Actually, it can be really harmful to criticize people's bodies like that."

In turn, your friend might reconsider criticizing people based on their appearance. By simply adhering to your own values and sharing them with a friend, you can positively peer pressure them to think before making a negative comment.

Parental Influence vs. Peer Pressure

Although parents worry about the influence of peers, overall, parents also can have a strong influence on whether children succumb to negative peer pressure.

Rather than worrying about the effects of their children's friendships, parents would do well to focus on creating a positive, supportive home environment. That way, even if your child is peer pressured to do something they don't want to do, they'll feel comfortable coming to you to talk about it first.

Role modeling good emotional self-regulation may also help your child stick to their own values when it comes to peer pressure. Self-regulation involves the ability to control thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in order to manage current behavior and achieve long-term goals.

This will teach your child positive ways of solving problems and coping with uncomfortable feelings, rather than trying to escape by doing things to fit into a crowd. Peer pressure to take potentially harmful risks can be balanced by parents ensuring that they set appropriate boundaries, provide support, and help to avoid risks. A few examples:

• Pick up your child from events where alcohol or drugs may have been consumed.
• Provide balanced, truthful information on issues such as alcohol and drug use.
• Stay involved in your child's life. Believe it or not, you are one of their biggest influences and they listen when you talk.
• Urge the importance of thinking before doing. Teach teens to ask themselves questions like: Could this harm me or someone else? Will this put my health or safety at risk? Is it legal? What are the long-term consequences for my health, family, education, and future?

Peer Pressure Beyond Childhood

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure because they are at a stage of development when they are separating more from their parents' influence, but have not yet established their own values or understanding about human relationships or the consequences of their behavior.

They are also typically striving for social acceptance and are more willing to engage in behaviors against their better judgment in order to be accepted.

However, adults are also vulnerable to peer pressure. Many adults are susceptible to drinking too much because their friends are doing it, or putting work before family because they're competing with other people in their office for a promotion.

The bottom line: Being aware of, and carefully choosing the influence of peers that will lead to healthy and happy experiences is a lifelong process.

How to Deal With Peer Pressure

Dealing with peer pressure can be difficult, but below are some ways to help address it.

Take Your Time

Instead of quickly agreeing to do something you'd rather not do, pause and take a few deep breaths . If someone is waiting for you to answer them, tell them you need to take a few days and think about it. It's easier to resist the pressure when you put some time and space between yourself and the situation.

Consider Your Reasons

When you're faced with a choice, ask yourself what your reasons are for doing something. If it's because all of your friends are doing it and you're afraid they won't talk to you if you don't join them, then you may want to reconsider.

You deserve to surround yourself with supportive people who respect your decisions—not people who pressure you into doing something that doesn't feel right.

Set Boundaries

Saying "no" can be hard, but it's necessary to set healthy boundaries in relationships. If someone persistently pressures you to do something, you can try telling them how it affects you.

For instance, you might say something like, "It upsets me when you offer me a cigarette when you know I don't smoke. I won't be able to keep hanging out with you if you don't respect my answer."

Offer an Alternative

It's possible that a friend who is peer pressuring you simply wants to spend more time with you or connect with you, but they don't know how else to ask.

If they pressure you to do shots with them at the bar when you aren't drinking, for example, you might suggest that you both hit the dance floor instead. Or maybe, you make a plan to go on a hike or to the movies the next time you hang out. That way, you're fulfilling both of your needs in a mutually beneficial way.

Graupensperger SA, Benson AJ, Evans MB. Everyone else is doing it: The association between social identity and susceptibility to peer influence in NCAA athletes .  J Sport Exerc Psychol . 2018;40(3):117-127. doi:10.1123/jsep.2017-0339

Morris H, Larsen J, Catterall E, et al.  Peer pressure and alcohol consumption in adults living in the UK: A systematic qualitative review .  BMC Public Health.  2014;20:1014. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09060-2

Clark DA, Donnellan MB, Durbin CE, et al. Sex, drugs, and early emerging risk: Examining the association between sexual debut and substance use across adolescence . PLoS ONE. 2020;15(2):e0228432. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0228432

Stanaland A, Gaither S. “Be a man”: The role of social pressure in eliciting men’s aggressive cognition . Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2021;47(11):1596-1611. doi:10.1177/0146167220984298

Sabramani V, Idris IB, Ismail H, Nadarajaw T, Zakaria E, Kamaluddin MR. Bullying and its associated individual, peer, family and school factors: Evidence from Malaysian National Secondary School students .  Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2021;18(13):7208. doi:10.3390/ijerph18137208

Kim J, Fletcher JM. The influence of classmates on adolescent criminal activities in the United States .  Deviant Behav . 2018;39(3):275-292. doi:10.1080/01639625.2016.1269563

National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens. Why Does Peer Pressure Influence Teens To Try Drugs? .

Pamela Rackow, Urte Scholz, Rainer Hornung.  Received social support and exercising: An intervention study to test the enabling hypothesis .  British Journal of Health Psychology , 2015;20(4):763. doi:10.1111/bjhp.12139

Vogel L. Fat shaming is making people sicker and heavier .  CMAJ . 2019;191(23):E649. doi:10.1503/cmaj.109-5758

Dhull P, Beniwal RD. Dealing with peer pressure . Online International Interdisciplinary Research Journal. 2017;7.

By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. 

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Digestive Health
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Diet & Nutrition
• Supplements
• Health Insurance
• Public Health
• Patient Rights
• Caregivers & Loved Ones
• End of Life Concerns
• Health News
• Thyroid Test Analyzer
• Doctor Discussion Guides
• Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
• Lipid Test Analyzer
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
• What to Buy
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Medical Expert Board

How Peer Pressure Affects All Ages

• Is It Always Bad?

Overcoming Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is any type of influence, positive or negative, that comes from a peer group. This peer group may be of similar age (e.g., children in the same classroom) but it can also be defined by other commonalities, including motherhood, professional affiliations, and your local neighborhood.

Peer pressure occurs throughout the lifespan, but learning to cope by building self-confidence and surrounding yourself with positive influences may help prevent problems with peer pressure from arising later.

This article will explain what peer pressure looks like in young adults and teens and how it can affect adults.

skynesher / Getty Images

What Is Peer Pressure?

Peer pressure often occurs when one or more members of your social group pressure you to behave or act in particular ways. It is often associated with negative or harmful activities like substance use, reckless driving, and more.

Peer Pressure in Children

Peer pressure doesn’t suddenly appear at a certain age. Peer pressure transcends age groups and can begin before the first day of school at daycare, playgroup, and more.

Once a child begins seeing themselves as a part of a community, the desire to fit in may occur for better or worse. This is why it is important to talk to your child early on about peer pressure and how to avoid being led into negative behaviors by their peers.

Peer pressure in younger children tends to be limited to copying bad behaviors such as acting out or taking things that don't belong to them.

Signs of Peer Pressure

A child who is experiencing peer pressure may:

• Seem to have sudden changes in long-held beliefs and values
• Have noticeable changes in attitude and behavior
• Start dressing differently
• Seem disconnected from family
• Seem dissatisfied with themselves and their social life

Peer Pressure in Older Teens and Young Adults

Older teens and young adults may be peer pressured to engage in harmful activities like drinking alcohol, smoking, or reckless driving. At this age, peer pressure has the potential to affect a child's long-term health and well-being and put them into dangerous situations.

Gender can affect how these pressures are internalized and expressed. For example, of the 29% of teens who responded they felt peer pressure to look “good,” girls were more likely than boys to say they feel a lot of pressure to look good (35% vs. 23%).  

Peer Pressure in Adults

Adults are not exempt from facing societal expectations and peer judgment or influence. For example, you may carry the pressure of academic achievement into your career. You may also face challenges like wanting to “keep up with the Jones’” and feel pressure to purchase items you cannot afford to maintain an image that fits into your work, social, or neighborhood environment. 

Peer pressure is more than someone asking you to try drugs or drink alcohol. The following were listed as the top pressures experienced by teens aged 13 to 17 in one study:

• Academic achievement (61% responded they feel pressure to get strong grades)
• Looking a certain way (29% felt pressure to look “good”)
• Fit into social peer groups (28% )
• Be more involved in extracurriculars and be good at athletics (21%)
• Drug and alcohol use (4% and 6%, respectively)

Types of Peer Pressure

You can experience peer pressure from people without them saying anything to you, and you can experience it from direct remarks made by others. 

• Direct peer pressure happens when one or more people directly encourage you to behave in a certain way or engage in certain activities.
• Indirect peer pressure is the subtle type that pulls you into conforming to a social group to increase your chances of acceptance. For example, this might involve seeing other people who are considered "cool" drinking at a party.

We hear much more about direct peer pressure, as it is easier to detect and recognize as problematic. It sounds like someone telling you to stop worrying, start having fun, and be part of the group by participating in something you don't feel comfortable with. It may also be a threat, such as, "You can't hang out with us if you're not going to drink."

Is Peer Pressure Always Negative?

Peer pressure is not always negative. Trying to fit into a healthy social group, for example, of peers getting good grades, joining sports teams, and making plans for their futures, is positive. Some refer to this type of peer “pressure” as peer “influence.”

According to Brett Laursen, Ph.D., a fellow of the American Psychological Association whose work focuses on the outcome of children’s interactions with peers and parents, peer influence can occur anytime one peer is more “influential” than the other.

Benefits of Peer Pressure

Peer influence can show you there is support, encouragement, and community available to you. By seeing someone else do something positive, even if it’s challenging, you may reflect on your own life choices, goals, and where you spend your time.

Examples of positive peer influence include:

• Joining an extracurricular activity or trying a new hobby
• Challenging and not participating in gossip 
• Avoiding drugs and alcohol 
• Working to save money for college
• Going to therapy (solo or couples)
• Making a career change

Risks of Peer Pressure

The risks associated with peer pressure may not be immediately obvious or seem like cautionary tales, but they are serious and can have life-altering consequences.

Why Young People Are More Susceptible

Young people may be more susceptible to peer pressure because their identities are still forming; they desire to fit in and not be bullied and have less risk aversion than adults.  

In addition, a combination of other age-related and developmental factors contribute to youth’s increased susceptibility to peer pressure:

• They may have trouble regulating their emotions.
• They may be more vulnerable to the effects of reward.
• They favor immediate over delayed prospects.

Substance Abuse

Peer pressure to use substances like alcohol and cannabis can unfold into problems with substance abuse .

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teen substance use affects brain development and can contribute to adult health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep disorders.

In Sexual Situations

Peer pressure can lead a person to engage in sexual activity before they are ready. It may also influence the person to participate in unsafe, risky, or dangerous sexual activities. The consequences may include being exposed to a sexually transmitted infection (STI), developing pregnancy, or having images of yourself posted online without consent.

Mental Health

Being pressured by peers can be a stressful experience, whether it happens in person or online . It may shake your sense of identity and self-confidence and may contribute to excessive worry. In addition, prolonged exposure to this type of stress and tension may be a factor in mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression .

Rising above peer pressure means not giving in to the pull of others to act in a certain way. No matter your age, you can practice not giving in to negative peer pressure and work on surrounding yourself with more positive influences.

Some ways of coping with peer pressure include:

• Not spending time with people who pressure you to do things that feel wrong or dangerous
• Having difficult conversations , learning to say "no," and practicing leaving situations that feel unsafe or uncomfortable. This may include calling a parent or spouse for support. 
• Befriending people who resist negative peer pressure and/or who have a positive influence
• Talking to a trusted peer or professional (e.g., teacher or counselor) if you have problems saying “no” or are feeling pressured to change something about yourself

Peer pressure is about the influence of others. It can be implicit or explicit, positive or negative. When the pressure is positive, encouraging you to become a better version of yourself, it may be referred to as peer “influence.”

While peer influence can improve your life, peer pressure can cause problems. For example, you may feel pressure to do unsafe things that have risks you may not fully know. Resisting peer pressure can involve avoiding it, saying no, and surrounding yourself with more positive influences.

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Peer pressure .

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Peer pressure . 

American Academy of Family Physicians. Helping your child deal with peer pressure .

Pew Research. Most U.S. teens see anxiety and depression as a major problem among their peers .

American Psychological Association. Speaking of psychology: the good and bad of peer pressure .

Meehan ZM, Hubbard JA, Moore CC, Mlawer F. Susceptibility to peer influence in adolescents: Associations between psychophysiology and behavior . Dev Psychopathol . 2022:1-13. doi:10.1017/S0954579422000967

National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens.  Why does peer pressure influence teens to try drugs?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teen substance use and risk .

Widman L, Choukas-Bradley S, Helms SW, Prinstein MJ. Adolescent susceptibility to peer influence in sexual situations . J Adolesc Health . 2016;58(3):323-329. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.10.253

American Psychological Association. Stress .

By Michelle Pugle Pulge is a freelance health writer focused on mental health content. She is certified in mental health first aid.

2 Minute Speech On Peer Pressure In English

Good morning everyone present here, today I am going to give a speech on peer pressure. Today, peer pressure is a problem that many kids face. Society provides kids with deceptive advertising that appears to steer them in unneeded ways. It is true what is said: the future of our globe will be much better off if today’s youth have more education.

Children today are subject to a variety of pressures. Others frequently exert pressure on you to take part in activities that you may not want to.

Peer pressure can be difficult because a child may feel under pressure to act, behave, think, and look a specific way by peers and schoolmates. Everything can be covered by this pressure. Teenagers deal with a variety of issues that may influence their decision-making. Sometimes, these choices are bad ones made to satisfy their need to fit in. There are techniques to combat peer pressure, despite the fact that it can be quite powerful and difficult to resist.

Negative peer pressure is not always simple to reject, but when you do, it is crucial and likely that you will feel good about it later. And you might even be a good role model for your friends who share your sentiments; frequently, all it takes is one individual to speak up or choose an alternative course of action to change a circumstance. Peer pressure is not necessarily bad, as the cliché goes. It can sometimes instill in people new interests, routines, attitudes, a strong will to succeed, or even a healthy conscience. Thank you. 

Related Posts:

• Random Disease Generator [Fake & Real]
• 4 Signs That A Tutor Is Right For Your Child
• Common Conversational Phrases in English [List of 939]
• Random University Name Generator
• Michael Poem by William Wordsworth Summary, Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English
• A Sad Child Poem by Margaret Atwood Summary, Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English for Students

Watch CBS News

13-year-old girl's inspiring monologue on peer pressure goes viral

By Jennifer Earl

May 30, 2017 / 4:23 PM EDT / CBS News

Arizona seventh-grader Olivia Vella choked up as she stood in front of her class last week, delivering a powerful six-minute monologue about the reality of being a teenage girl today.

The 13-year-old openly discussed the struggles young people face during those "awkward" middle school years. The peer pressure to look and act a certain way, the bullying, all the challenges of transitioning into adulthood.

"Pick out an outfit that will fit in with the latest trends and won't make you the laughing stock of the school. More than you already are," she said during  her presentation , which was shared on Queen Creek Middle School's official Facebook page. "Put on some makeup so you can actually show your face in public so you can be a little bit pretty."

The presentation left her class speechless, and the internet in awe. The video of her presentation online has garnered more than 140,000 views as of Tuesday afternoon.

Vella said she decided to tackle the issue for her writing class' final assignment — which required students to select a topic they feel passionately about and compose their own slam poems pertaining to the topic — after getting bullied for getting good grades.

"She came to me one day and said, 'Mom, next year I just want to be dumb. Because I want to be like those other girls, I want them to like me.' And it broke my heart," said Olivia's mother, Molly Vella, told CBS Phoenix affiliate KPHO .

After talking over her feelings with her mother, Vella realized everyone is special in their own way. There is no such thing as "normal."

"Popular isn't always a good thing," Vella declared in her poem. "You tell yourself, I just want people to like me. I just want to be accepted. But skipping meals and marking up your wrist isn't going to fix that."

Posted by Queen Creek Middle School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Not once did Vella stutter or lose her train of thought throughout the entire presentation. 

And it made a big impression on viewers.

"That was so gut-wrenching and yet beautiful and inspiring at the same time. Extremely powerful words and how it was all memorized without a flaw or stammer or 'um.' I'm in awe!" one woman commented on the Facebook post. "I've always been impressed with this sweet girl. She and all these other middle school kids are definitely enough and so very great as they are."

"Wow! Some amazing youth are out there," another added. "Hopefully her peers are listening and really hear her message."

After reading hundreds of Facebook comments and hearing feedback from teachers and peers at school, Vella felt a sense of comfort and solidarity.

"People I don't even know would say, 'Hey, Olivia, I really liked your monologue and I feel the exact same way.' And it was really eye-opening because I, for most of the time, thought I was the only one that felt this way and I was crazy for feeling it," Olivia told KPHO.

While she knows it won't put an end to bullying or peer pressure, she hopes teens, specifically young girls, will take a moment to listen to her message.

As she put it: "Society is wrong. You are loved. You are precious. You are beautiful. You are talented. You are capable. You are deserving of respect. You can eat that meal. You are one in 7 billion. And most of all, you are good enough."

More from CBS News

Walker Hayes shares his battle with addiction in new album

IRS says number of audits about to surge. Here's who it is targeting.

Rare white killer whale nicknamed "Frosty" spotted off California coast

GOP-led Arizona Senate votes to repeal 1864 abortion ban

• TOP CATEGORIES
• AS and A Level
• University Degree
• International Baccalaureate
• Uncategorised
• 5 Star Essays
• Study Tools
• Study Guides
• Meet the Team
• English Language
• Writing to Argue, Persuade and Advise

Peer Pressure Persuasive speech

Persuasive Speech – Peer Pressure

Good Afternoon.

I am standing here today to defend our rights and our liberty of freedom to decide. Would you do something that you do not want, like smoking or dealing or doing drugs or drinking alcohol in order to “fit in”? Let me tell you that you are violating yourself as a person If your answer is yes, because you are not staying true to yourself and you are making some other person treat you like a puppet, by making you do things that can hurt, ruin and damage your body.

I am a high school student, so this means I am around this kind of things all the time. All this peer pressure starts because they tell you that if you don’t do something, like deal drugs, or smoke or alcohol, you are not part of the group because there is no reason not to do it.  They often tell you that if you do drink alcohol you´ll get into a state of “happiness” and you will have a much better time, they also tell you that nothing bad is going to happen. But is this even true? Will you have a better time in your state of “happiness” unaware of what you are doing, or being sober, when your brain can clearly function?

This is a preview of the whole essay

Most kids are terrified that if they don’t do this they will be alone, with no friends, and they will appear childish, and they´ll think they are going to die because their social status is going to crash, because of what their friends tell them. So they accept to the offer, because they don’t want to be the only ones not drinking or smoking, they become someone they are not, only to keep having your “friends”. But are they really their friends? They are treating them like some toy they can take around, telling them what do or what not only to stay with them, if not they throw you out and tell everyone that you are a kid because you don’t do that. But smoking, dealing or doing drugs and drinking alcohol is damaging both the body and the mind because then teenagers do not know who they are and what is right and what is wrong because they are being fooled by their friends that what they believe isn’t true, that there is not going to be any consequences. Once you start you think that everything is going to be the same. But is it?

After this step you can’t ever go back to how it was before, your old self gets lost behind, you cross the line to the wrong side, you start drinking, then you start smoking, then drugs and there you don’t realize that because of the peer pressure and not staying true to yourself and not being able to say “no”, and being fooled by your friends, who are in the same situation, you can end up in a hospital with lung cancer, AID´s or alcoholism coma.

What happens to most teenagers is that they don’t realize that they are doing a wrong thing; they loose conscience of what is right and what is wrong. And only gain that conscience when they get to the extreme. They are so self-centered in not loosing their “friends” that they do not realize that they are ruining their bodies and power of decision. Nobody tells them that they are losing themselves.

So if you are one of these teenagers, being ordered by another one to do things you don’t want to, gain that conscience that you can always start to be true to yourself again. Don’t be a coward, say “No!” don’t be afraid to defend your rights, and if your social group doesn’t understand that, find another one that accepts you for who you are, not for what to do. It is not the end of the world, if you are conscious of what you are doing, you can find your true self that is lost somewhere inside of you, and leave that part of you who only follows other people’s rules. Because that is what you are doing, obeying them.

If you have a friend who is going through this, help him or her, because this can end up badly. If it is difficult to do, there are organizations that can help.

But remember that you always have to stay true to yourself, no matter what happens or what people tell you. Learn to say no, and do what you want and believe in you, not what other persons tell you to do.

Thank you for your time.

I hope you understand the consequences peer pressure can lead and you know that there are solutions, so that you can actually enjoy your time in high school by just being you

Document Details

• Word Count 821
• Page Count 2
• Subject English

Related Essays

Persuasive Speech

My persuasive speech against underage drinking

Teenagers are being trapped in a world of pressure nowadays from a lot of c...

Persuasive speech

How to talk to kids about peer pressure in a way that they’ll want to listen to

Peer pressure is among every parent’s worst nightmares. But while it might feel like it’s out of your control, there are things you can do and say to make it less likely that your child will do something dangerous just because their friends are doing it.

Of course you can (and should) start encouraging kids to think for themselves as early as preschool. Start by doing things like reminding them not to copy everything that their friends do, and encouraging them to say “no” when they feel uncomfortable. Kids start caring about what peers think (and less about what parents think!) around age seven, so these conversations should be ongoing.

But when they’re teens and tweens, peer pressure can ramp up (and the pressures become more serious) so it’s important to talk about it directly. Here’s a script to help you delve into the risks of peer pressure in a way that really gets through to older kids.

Your conversation should include…

Explain what peer pressure looks like

Tell them how peer pressure works, let them know the risks.

• Give ideas for how to respond

Offer an escape plan

Reinforce their independence, reassure them that mistakes are normal.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ParentsTogether (@parentstogether)

“Peer pressure is when you are influenced to do certain things because you want to fit in with other kids. But it’s not just someone directly pressuring you to do something—although that could happen!”

“It could also be when you see someone who you think is cool wearing a certain type of hat, and then you start to really want that same kind of hat too. Or it could be when you’re in a group and people start making fun of someone, and you have to decide what to do or say.”

“Peer pressure can also happen on social media—like when you see the popular kids posting videos of themselves playing drinking games, or when someone says that whoever doesn’t send pics is a prude.”

“It’s totally normal to want to fit in, and to want to be part of a group! But just know that as a teen it can be extra challenging to make good decisions when you’re under peer pressure. There’s actually science behind this.”

“When you’re a teenager your brain is coded to really, really care about social rewards. So when someone compliments you, or when you feel accepted by a group, your brain focuses extra hard on that and makes it into much more of a big deal than it would be for an adult.”

“That’s why if you’re under peer pressure, like when you are driving and your friends are in the car, or you’re posting on social media and the popular kids are going to see it, you might have a tendency to make rash decisions that are ONLY for the social rewards instead of also thinking about your own health and safety, and the health and safety of those around you.”

“Impulsive decisions in general can put you in danger, whether it’s a risk to your health (like getting in a car accident) or to your safety (like sneaking out at night to meet up with friends).” 

“Plus, your brain and body aren’t fully developed so you actually do have to be extra careful about certain substances like alcohol , marijuana , and drugs . They can do more long-term damage to your body and brain now than they would if you used them as an adult.”

Give ideas for how to respond to peer pressure

“When you feel pressured to do something that you don’t think is a good idea, here are some ideas of what to say.”

• Nah, I feel like doing my own thing today.
• That’s OK, I was about to do XYZ if anyone wants to join me.
• Eh, it’s not worth the trouble I’d get in with my parents. They’re super strict.
• No thanks, I’m taking a break from that.
• I’ll just watch. I wanna see how this goes first.
• Hmmm, will you still be my friend if I say no?
• I feel like I’m watching some cautionary video about the dangers of peer pressure.
• I don’t think this will look good when I run for president.
• No thanks, I’m just here for the free snacks/music/people watching.
• I’m trying to be responsible so I can earn a later curfew.
• I’ve actually gotta go, my mom is mad because I promised I would be home. Anyone need a ride?
• No, I feel like I would regret that later.
• What could we do instead that won’t get me kicked off the team?

“Do you have any other ideas of what to do or say?”

“You can always blame me if you want to leave a situation that’s making you uncomfortable. Let’s come up with a code word that you can text or say on the phone, and I’ll come or call right away.”

“I promise you won’t be in trouble with me if you choose to do that. No judgment about what you were doing or who you were with, OK?”

“Do you think you would use that if you needed to?”

“It’s a wonderful feeling to be part of a group of friends, but don’t let that swallow up your ability to make independent decisions. Remember that you’re great because you’re unique, and people will respect you if you do your own thing with confidence.”

“So if a certain group is making you feel pressured all the time, or worried about being cool enough, then maybe that’s not the group for you. This applies to social media too. If seeing someone’s posts are making you feel bad, then YOU have the power to stop looking at them.”

“I learned this the hard way when I was your age. I spent way too much time trying to follow around these popular kids, and I thought it was so important for some reason—but I wasn’t happy. And then I ended up without any good friends who really ‘got’ me.”

“I don’t expect you to be perfect. Everyone makes mistakes or does things they regret later.”

“I hope you know that you can always come to me. My job is to help you, not get you in trouble. So if you’ve done something you regret or if your friends are doing something dangerous and you’re not sure what to do, you can tell me. I promise not to judge you or overreact.”

Unfortunately, there’s no failsafe that will completely guarantee that your kids always stand up against negative peer pressure—and even the most confident independent thinker will make not-so-great decisions now and then. But by opening this dialogue with your child, and showing your support, you can be the support system they need as they navigate this phase of life.

Joanna Eng is a staff writer and digital content specialist at ParentsTogether. She lives with her wife and two kids in New York, where she loves to hike, try new foods, and check out way too many books from the library.

How to buy fewer gifts for your kids, without skimping on the holiday magic

Finding new ways to connect with teens — while respecting their independence

Related posts.

How to talk to your tween as they prepare to enter puberty

New melatonin guidelines address child safety issues — here’s what parents need to know

How to explain the Chinese Exclusion Act to kids

Advice Column: What should I say to my skincare- and beauty-obsessed tween?

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Connection denied by Geolocation Setting.

Reason: Blocked country: Russia

The connection was denied because this country is blocked in the Geolocation settings.

Please contact your administrator for assistance.

84 Peer Pressure Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best peer pressure topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 simple & easy peer pressure essay titles, 👍 good essay topics on peer pressure, ❓ questions about peer pressure.

• Peer Pressure: Positive and Negative Effects When I was in high school, I happened to be assigned to a discussion group that was comprised of people who valued the process of studying a lot. The influence of the group played a […]
• Peer Pressure: Issue Review Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a friend or friends in encouraging a person to do something that you do not want to do. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Friends’ Influence and Peer Pressure in Adolescents The list of physical and emotional transformations happening to the young people during adolescence is universal; the processes are the same for all teenagers.
• Peer Pressure Causes and Resistance If Jack does not stay in a company where everybody smokes, he will not feel the pressure to do it. If it does not help, and Jack continues to feel pressure, it is possible for […]
• Peer Pressure in Society The peer pressure of various characteristics due to the community’s contradicting desire can lead to moral decay or psychological illness in a person.
• Peer Pressure: Facing Challenges The group should conduct lectures on the basis of education and upbringing for families to be aware of the challenges and constraints.
• Peer Pressure and Smoking Influence on Teenagers The study results indicate that teenagers understand the health and social implications of smoking, but peer pressure contributes to the activity’s uptake.
• Peer Pressure in High School However, the best and easy way in this tough world, or in the peer group, is to prove oneself as a rebellious teen.
• The Power of Peer Pressure In this essay, I have used the concepts of the Asch’s experiment to explain how the power of peer pressure has influenced my life.
• How Does Peer Pressure Contribute to Adolescent Depression? Therefore, it is possible to note that peer pressure is one of the most significant factors contributing to the development of adolescent depression.
• Peer Pressure and Life Span Reduction: An Unusual Perspective on the old Problem Therefore, among the dependable variables, the temper of the victim and his/her aptitude to change under the pressure of the circumstances should be mentioned.
• Peer Pressure as One of the Main Teenagers Problem The introduction of a healthy social and psychological environment in schools is a program that will be implemented to help curb negative effects of peer pressure.
• The Strength of Peer Pressure on the Youth
• The Influence of Peer Pressure and Its Social and Financial Problems
• The Issues of Depression, Peer Pressure and Stress Among Youth
• Peer Pressure Can Be Attributed to Increased Number of Teenage Smoking
• The Potential Benefits of Peer Pressure
• The Positive And Negative Effects Of Peer Pressure
• An Overview of the Dangers of Peer Pressure in the United States
• The Effects Of Peer Pressure On Adolescents Delinquent Behavior
• Early Adolescents’ Perceptions of Peer Pressure
• The Importance of Good Communication with Family to Withstand Peer Pressure and Bad Influences from Friends
• An Evaluation of the Influence of Peer Pressure to the Rising Use of Drugs
• The Negative Effects of Peer Pressure in the Teenaged Years
• Theories of Personality: Giving in to Peer Pressure
• Effective Ways a Student Resist Peer Pressure
• Peer Pressure Awareness: Live Above the Influence
• The Positive and Negative Influences of Peer Pressure on Behavior
• Body Image, Peer Pressure, and Identity in Mean Girls
• Peer Pressure and its Impact on Teenagers Choices
• The Influence of Peer Pressure in Succumbing to Alcohol and Cigarettes
• The Impact of Peer Pressure in Adolescents and How to Cope with It
• The Variables of Positive Peer Pressure for Creating a Safer School Environment
• The Pressue is On: The Impacts of Peer Pressure in Julius
• The Influence of Peer Pressure on Children and Adults
• Dealing with Peer Pressure as a Teenager
• The Peer Pressure on the Human Beings
• Understanding Diabetes Burnout and the Contribution of Peer Pressure to Diabetes in Children
• The Reasons or Teenage Attractions to Gangs and Peer Pressure Resulting in Crime
• Transparency, Inequity Aversion, and the Dynamics of Peer Pressure in Teams: Theory and Evidence
• The Effects of Peer Pressure on the Academic Performance
• The Role Of Peer Pressure On Teens And Decision Making
• The Theme Of Peer Pressure In Night By Elie Wiesel
• What Is Peer Pressure Health And Social Care
• Cool to be Smart or Smart to be Cool? Understanding Peer Pressure in Education
• Effects of Peer Pressure on Decision Making
• The Types of Peer Pressure Teenagers Face
• What Peer Pressure Is How It Affects Us
• The Negative Impacts and Influence of Peer Pressure on Teenagers
• The Poor Choices Teenagers Make Due to Peer Pressure
• Caue and Effects of Peer Pressure
• Does Peer Pressure Have an Effect on First Time Drug Use
• Peer Pressure In Adolescents: Drugs, Alcohol, And Sex
• The Pros and Cons of Peer Pressure
• The Role of Peer Pressure in the Development of Eating Disorders
• What Are the Main Causes of Peer Pressure?
• What Is the Problem of Peer Pressure?
• How Does Peer Pressure Affect Society?
• What Are the Statistics on Peer Pressure?
• How Can Peer Pressure Be Defined as Influence From Members Of?
• Does Peer Pressure Help Students Grow?
• Does Peer Pressure Create Social Pressure?
• How Does Peer Pressure Affect Social Behavior?
• How Does Peer Pressure Affect the Brain?
• How Does Peer Pressure Contribute to the Spread of HIV Among the Youth?
• How Does Peer Pressure Affect Youth?
• How Can Peer Pressure Positively and Negatively Affect a Teen?
• What Are the Four Types of Peer Pressure?
• How Does Peer Pressure Affect Decision Making?
• Why Are Parents Loosening up on Restructuring Their Children and Giving Way to Peer Pressure?
• How Does Peer Pressure Affect Someone’s Choices and Their Lifestyle?
• What Can Schools Do to Stop Peer Pressure?
• Does Peer Pressure Have an Influence on College Students Being in a Monogamous Relationship?
• How Much Does Peer Pressure Affect Students?
• Does Peer Pressure Have an Effect on First-Time Drug Use?
• How Do Peers Pressure Influence Learning?
• What Is Peer Pressure for Students?
• How Can Peer Pressure Lead To Crime?
• How Does Peer Pressure Affect Educational Investments?
• How Has Peer Pressure Been Popularly Blamed for Adolescent Behaviors?
• How Can Peer Pressure Impact Negatively on Teenagers?
• How Can We Stop Peer Pressure?
• Who Is Most Affected by Peer Pressure?
• Why Is Peer Pressure a Problem?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, October 26). 84 Peer Pressure Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/peer-pressure-essay-topics/

"84 Peer Pressure Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 26 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/peer-pressure-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda . (2023) '84 Peer Pressure Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 26 October.

IvyPanda . 2023. "84 Peer Pressure Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." October 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/peer-pressure-essay-topics/.

1. IvyPanda . "84 Peer Pressure Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." October 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/peer-pressure-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "84 Peer Pressure Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." October 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/peer-pressure-essay-topics/.

• Motivation Research Ideas
• Relationship Research Ideas
• School Uniforms Topics
• Private School Research Ideas
• Adolescence Questions
• Puberty Titles
• Social Norms Essay Ideas
• Alcohol Essay Titles
• Cyber Bullying Essay Ideas
• Drug Abuse Research Topics
• Marijuana Ideas
• Online Community Essay Topics
• Smoking Research Topics
• Teenagers Research Topics
• Bullying Research Topics

Peer Pressure: Some True Stories

You’re not alone in peer pressure. Here are some real stories:

Mike (aged 16) says:

“I smoked my first cigarette when I was 11. I didn’t want to but all my friends were smoking and I didn’t want to be out of the group. Once I’d started I couldn’t stop. I was addicted… I wish I hadn’t started. I knew it was wrong and I didn’t want to.”

Liz (aged 15) says:

“I went to a party with my friends from school. My mom always told me not to allow any guys to take advantage of me and to stick together with my friends when I’m at parties. All my friends said they wanted to have some fun with a guy and most of them said they had been with a guy. I had never been with a guy and didn’t want to. But at this party all my friends danced with guys and I went into the garden with a guy who said he wanted to go somewhere quiet. I don’t know why I did that. He raped me in the garden while everyone was having fun at the party. The music was so loud no one could hear me. The cops came and it was horrible. I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through.”

Ryan (aged 15) says:

“I like cars a lot. Me and my friends started stealing cars over a year ago. I didn’t want to do it but we all felt we could have some fun and get away with it… I’ve been caught twice by the cops and they say if I do this again I will go to jail. I don’t like what this has done to my mom and dad. They don’t want me to hang with these guys anymore but they’re my friends… I wouldn’t do this on my own but when I’m with the guys it makes me feel good and I can do stuff.”

Corey (aged 17) says:

“I want to share this with other teens. Please don’t do what I did. I used to live upstate in the country. There were 5 of us friends and we had talked about what it was like to use a shotgun. We didn’t have one but my friend’s dad had one locked in a cabinet in his home. My friend had a key so we took the gun outside. We were all excited and were messing around with the gun. We loaded a couple of cartridges and shot at some squirrels in a tree. We did this a lot. But the gun somehow went off and my friend Zak got shot in the back. He nearly died. He’s ok now. We all knew it was wrong but we did it anyways. I’ll never forget that day.”

Alison (aged 18) says:

“I started doing drugs when I was 15. All my friends were into it and I honestly felt it was ok to do the stuff with them. I now know that I shouldn’t have done and it has taken me over a year to get back to where I’m at today. I’ve got drugs out of my body. I still don’t feel good about it and some days can be better than others… but I’m looking forwards, not backwards. I think that’s important. I know it was peer pressure that got me into that stuff. We all got screwed up. My advice to anyone is if you know that you shouldn’t do stuff then don’t do it – even if your friends think it’s cool. It’s not worth it… and your life gets messed up. I still have some of my friends but they’ve changed. They’re still trying to get their lives together. Don’t do drugs. You only get one body and only you can look after it.”

Brad (aged 17) says:

“My peer group wants to make a difference. We are all doing well at school and we want to keep it that way. We know there are bad things out there and we want to help each other to make the right decisions. My friends are like family to me and we all look out for each other. It’s what keeps me calm ‘cause I need them to support me when I need help. I’m there for them when they need me to. It’s cool and it works.”

Remember that you are important. Your life counts, and you can make a difference in this world. If you ever need to talk about this or anything else, feel free to get in touch with us. We’re here for you.

© All material copyright since 2000 to now... Humanity Unlimited Global, Inc. (a.k.a. H.U.G.) 'Your Life Counts' is an official program of H.U.G. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Security

Site issues? Email: webmaster(at)yourlifecounts(dot)org

A Federally registered not for profit charitable organization; CRA#135891257RR0001

Vote 2024 live: First Labour gain confirmed; Tories expecting to lose by-election and hundreds of seats

Millions of people across England and Wales have voted in the local elections - now the results are coming in. Follow all the very latest through the night live on the Politics Hub.

Friday 3 May 2024 02:40, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Vote 2024: Watch a Sky News special programme live as results come in
• What's been voted on?  |  Check the result where you live
• First Labour gain of the night confirmed
• What will a good - and bad - night look like for major parties?
• Senior Tories expect to lose Blackpool South by-election
• Beth Rigby:  Labour confident - but key contests on a knife-edge
• Tamara Cohen: Expectation management from Tories well under way
• Boris Johnson turned away after forgetting photo ID
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler

The Conservatives have just lost control of North East Lincolnshire.

Labour won five seats and the Liberal Democrats and independents have taken one each, with four results still to come.

The party needed to win six seats on the night to retain control, but took only one of the first eight to be declared.

At this very early stage of the night, only five of 107 councils in England have confirmed the full results of yesterday's local elections.

Here's a reminder of what they are:

Sunderland , which remains under Labour

Newcastle-upon-Tyne , which is held by Labour

South Tyneside , also retained by Labour

Hartlepool , which Labour gained from no overall control

Broxbourne, which was held by the Tories

You can see the full breakdown of the results so far below...

The council had been in no overall control prior to tonight.

A spokesperson for Labour said Thurrock Council, in Essex, is "exactly the kind of place we need to be winning to gain a majority in a general election".

They added: "The people of Thurrock have sent the Conservatives a message that they want change."

The Tories were defending 13 seats in Thurrock, compared to Labour's four.

The Conservatives won a majority following a dominant performance in 2021, but Labour fought back at last year's election to win more seats than anyone else. 

 We've just had it confirmed that Labour has gained Hartlepool from no overall control, grabbing eight seats in total.

This was six from the Conservatives and two from independents.

Looking to the Liberal Democrats for a moment, a party source has claimed they are "already hearing of Lib Dem gains in former Conservative heartlands".

They added: "Lib Dems are expecting to move forward overnight in Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Hertfordshire."

Meanwhile, Reform UK have made substantial moves in Sunderland, where they came second - ahead of the Conservatives - in a number of wards.

There's also a story emerging for the Green Party, who gained two seats in Newcastle-upon-Tyne from Labour.

In Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, the Tories lost 13% of their vote from three years ago, and the main beneficiaries of that were the Greens, rather than Labour.

 Labour has retained control of South Tyneside, but the party has lost 10 seats.

The party needed to win four seats of the 14 seats it held going in to polling day, and while it achieved that, its majority will be reduced.

 Another result is in - Labour has held Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with 15 out of 27 wards declared.

Polls are closed, and we're now seeing the results of local elections - the last major electoral test for Rishi Sunak before a general election.

A total of 2,636 council seats are up for grabs, and it is widely expected the Conservatives will see heavy losses, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt telling Sky News yesterday the party is braced for a "difficult night".

In the page below, you can keep up to date with all the results from English councils.

And we'll bring you all the twists and turns here in the Politics Hub.

We've just heard from the returning officer at the Blackpool South by-election, which is taking place alongside local elections today.

He has said the result won't come before 3am, but will hopefully be before 4am.

We would recommend you grab another cup of coffee...

As results begin to trickle in, it's worth reminding ourselves of what's at stake tonight:

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free