Peer Pressure

From TODAY, Voices
Tuesday, 24-March-2009

By Dr Bill Maier


Peer pressure is a powerful force in a teen’s life. But not all peer pressure is bad for them.

Almost all teens get to an age where they pull away from mum and dad and look to their friends for acceptance and approval.

When that happens, they can often be pressured into doing things they know are wrong. We’ve all heard horror stories of good kids going bad because they got caught up with the wrong crowd.

But peer pressure is a two-way street. There’s such a thing as “healthy” peer pressure — where kids encourage each other to take the high road when tempted, and to excel instead of settling for mediocrity.

Instead of pulling each other down, good friends hold each other accountable. And they look for ways to set an example to others.

That is why it is so important to steer your kids toward the right kinds of friends. Because peer pressure could be the best thing that ever happened to your child.