Your Friendships and Peer Pressure

S. Jett, NBCTMontevallo Middle School

Bell ringer

• What makes a good friend?

Friends

• You learn many of your social skills from your family, but you also learn many skills from your friends. The friends that you choose usually share similar values.

• Traits of a Good Friend1. Trust2. Caring3. Respect 4. Loyalty

Healthy Friendships

• Friendships become unhealthy when one of the friends becomes controlling or abusive. Some warning signs of an unhealthy friendship are when a friend

• Gets angry when you want to include other friends.• Starts damaging rumors about you.• Only calls you when they want something from you.• Invites everyone from your group to a social event

except you.• Makes degrading comments about how you look or

dress.

Peer Pressure

• Sometimes teens worry about what their peers might think about them. When your friends’ opinions influence how you act, this is called peer pressure.

• Negative peer pressure is encouraging a person to act in a way that is harmful or illegal. Other forms can include – bribes, dares, teasing, name-calling or threats.

Resisting Negative Peer Pressure

1. Avoid the situation2. Use assertive responses3. Focus on the issue4. Walk away

You can also use the H.E.L.P. strategy to deal with peers.